GUARDIOLA BANS XMAS
City stars forced to miss club’s night out
PEP GUARDIOLA cancelled Christmas for his Manchester City stars by banning them from attending the club’s festive bash last night.
The City boss was unimpressed by some of his players going from last year’s club Christmas bash to Manchester nightclub Chinawhite to party until dawn last year, hours before a training session.
Guardiola then watched his team lose twice over the festive period, against Crystal Palace and Leicester City, and is leaving nothing to chance this season.
None of the squad, who celebrated Raheem Sterling’s 25th birthday last Sunday at a lavish Great Gatsby-themed party, were at the venue Bauer Millett on Deansgate for the all-staff party.
It is not certain whether the players will organise their own festive bash after missing out on the club one.
Guardiola has previously been keen to foster togetherness and encourages players to mingle with club employees.
During parties over the last couple of years Benjamin Mendy played games with young graduates and took to the DJ decks, while chief executive Ferran Soriano sang karaoke.
City have fallen 14 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and are desperate for victory at Arsenal on Sunday.
Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hattrick against Dinamo Zagreb, has shouldered the weight of goalscoring responsibility in the absence of Sergio Aguero and the Brazilian revealed the pressure has gnawed away at him of late.
‘Last month I was no good and I wasn’t happy,’ said Jesus. ‘Always I think, “Wow, I have to score” because I’m playing for a big club in big competitions with big players. When I’m not happy with me I want to shoot myself in the head because it’s difficult for me. I think, “Oh my God I have to score, I have to score, I have to score”.
‘When I have the chance sometimes I miss because I think too much and put too much pressure on myself.’