Pep Guardiola may have watched his Manchester City side record a comfortable 3-0 home win over West Ham, but he was not happy with his players’ performance.
For the City manager, standards remain non-negotiable, even during the festive period, and that message was underlined by his decision to turn down Manchester City players’ Christmas extra time off request.
City’s victory briefly took them to the top of the Premier League table, continuing their pursuit of domestic and European success.
Goals ensured there was no late drama at the Etihad Stadium, yet Guardiola made it clear afterwards that the manner of the win did not meet his expectations.
In his view, results alone are not enough if the performance level drops below the intensity and control required to win trophies consistently.
Before the West Ham game, Guardiola had already planned to give his squad a short break, mindful of the heavy demands placed on players during England’s congested winter schedule.
With City not due to play again until their home match against Nottingham Forest on 27 December, the manager had agreed to three days off. The players were scheduled to rest from Monday to Wednesday before returning to training on Christmas Day to begin preparations for Forest.
However, some within the squad asked whether they could also have Sunday free. The idea was to allow players more time to travel and spend the festive period with family and friends.
Guardiola listened, but his response was swift and firm. The request was rejected, and the squad instead reported to the City Football Academy on Sunday, where recovery work and training sessions for those who had not featured against West Ham were carried out before the agreed break began.
Guardiola unhappy despite comfortable win
Rejecting Manchester City players’ Christmas request was a dissatisfaction in what Guardiola felt was a lack of sharpness and intensity, despite the clean sheet and convincing margin of victory.
While City controlled long spells of the game, the manager believed they did not perform at the level required of a team with ambitions of adding further silverware.
According to Manchester Evening News, Guardiola was direct in explaining why he had refused the extra day off.
“The players asked me to take a day off [on Sunday], I said, no, because you didn’t play good enough,” he said.
“So recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and after three days off, you have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”
For Guardiola, such decisions are part of maintaining the culture he has built since arriving at the club.
Success, he often stresses, comes from consistency, discipline and attention to detail, not just on matchdays but in training and preparation. Allowing standards to slip, even slightly, is something he believes can have consequences later in the season.
The City manager has repeatedly spoken about the importance of rhythm and focus during the long Premier League campaign. While the festive period is traditionally associated with rest and celebration, it is also one of the most demanding phases of the English football calendar.
Matches come thick and fast, and maintaining physical freshness and mental concentration can be the difference between sustaining a title challenge and falling behind.
Guardiola acknowledged that his approach has been shaped by his years working in England, where the winter schedule offers little room for extended breaks.
“It depends on the schedule. In that time I always give as much,” he explained. “Listen, I learned from England, I said many times, when I arrive as much days to have a day off, you can give them. The schedule is so tight and the players have to forget. You know that?”
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While the decision may have disappointed some players in the short term, Guardiola framed it as a matter of balance.
Rest is important, but so is timing. In his view, the body and mind must recover in a way that aligns with upcoming fixtures, rather than simply maximising days away from the training ground.
Balancing rest, recovery and title ambitions
Despite rejecting Manchester City players’ Christmas request, Guardiola was keen to stress that he remains conscious of the need for players to recharge, particularly during a period as demanding as December.
The three-day break, he believes, offers enough time for his squad to step away from football before refocusing on the challenges ahead.
“The more they arrive in the right moment, the moment the game will be fresh here in the legs,” he said.
“That’s why I have to recover. The players have to go with the families and forget football. I will work for them, as always.”
City’s next fixture against Nottingham Forest comes at a critical stage of the season. With the title race expected to be tightly contested, Guardiola is acutely aware that dropped points or sluggish performances can quickly shift momentum.
The Forest game, therefore, represents an opportunity to set the tone for the remainder of the festive schedule.