Manchester City players will rest up at home for two days before reuniting for their next Premier League game.
Had the Blues beaten Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final, they would be flying off to Munich this week for an intense semi-final before returning to play Wolves on Saturday. While they would rather still be in that competition, their exit does allow for the squad to put their feet up and make sure they are at their best for the final stretch of their Premier League battle with Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola has given his players Monday and Tuesday off to recover from a gruelling run of four games in 12 days that included the Madrid game, an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, and two Premier League away trips. They will all report back for duty at the City Football Academy on Wednesday, where preparations will already have begun on their final four matches.
City will also be helped by having two of those four games at home, giving them the advantage of not just the crowd but also conditions. At the City Ground, the visitors were less than happy about the dry state of the pitch as it didn’t play to their strengths but also increased the risk of injuries.
“It’s been hard, it’s been tough,” said defender Nathan Ake of the schedule. “Even after Brighton, all the travelling and stuff. We could feel it a bit today but now it will be nice to have a few days’ rest and prepare for the next one.”
City could be four points behind again when they take on Wolves at teatime on Saturday, with Arsenal hosting Bournemouth in the lunchtime kick-off. Mikel Arteta’s side top the table by a point, but have played a game more than the reigning champions.
