City players sit out club party

Pep Guardiola is hoping there will be no repeat of last year’s festive slump – after seeing through his threat to change his squad’s Christmas party plans.

The City manager was seething after first-team squad members stayed out partying until the early hours at last year’s event – and watched his side suffer a shock home defeat by Crystal Palace a couple of days later.

Twelve months on, it has emerged that City’s players sat out the club’s Christmas party last night. Although the majority of City players reported for training the next day on time last year, Guardiola felt some had overdone the celebrating and that the team paid the price against Palace. City also lost the next Premier League match, away to Leicester City on Boxing Day. It prompted Guardiola to hold a meeting with his coaching staff early this year, during which it was decided that restrictions would be imposed on how late the players could stay out next time around.

But there was no need to impose a curfew since it is understood the squad missed the party in order to ensure they were in peak condition

Curfew plan: Pep Guardiola was prepared to tell players what time to leave the party for training ahead of a crucial run of games, starting with Sunday’s trip to Arsenal. Guardiola did attend the party, which was held at Bauer Millett in Manchester city centre, on the first team’s behalf. The champions trail leaders Liverpool by 14 points and also face second-placed Leicester after playing Arsenal.