Manchester City midfielders Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have been warned over their conduct by Josep Guardiola shortly after their 4-0 win over Newcastle United on December 19. Both players were left out from the first team squad that headed to Tyneside for this fixture as the manager was unhappy with their behavior.
Foden and Grealish were instrumental in thumping Leeds United 7-0 at the Etihad stadium. They both were pictured having a night out after that stupendous win and Guardiola clearly mentioned that these players were not rested. He said to the media that he notices off field and on field behaviors of these players and was unhappy with the duo.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said:
“I pay a lot of attention to behavior on and off the pitch. And when off the pitch is not proper, they are not going to play.
So, they have to be focused all the time because of the distractions at Christmas time and everything that happens – you have to still be focused.”
Grealish, who made a 100-million-pound move from Aston Villa in August, has had some disciplinary issues previously as well. He was spotted hosting a party during the early covid lockdown period and Foden too was involved in a similar scandal during his international stint with Mason Greenwood, where the teenage players were found partying without the permission of the management.
The Citizens are chasing their sixth Premier League and seventh first division crown, having broken a 43-year deadlock in 2012. They have registered eight wins in a row to solidify their position at the top of the table and are currently three points clear of second-positioned Liverpool and six ahead of Chelsea. They are also the only team in the league right now to have conceded less than 10 goals.
Their victory against Newcastle United was their 34th of the calendar year, setting a record for the English top-flight. They have a chance to steer further clear in the coming weeks and if the chasing sides keep dropping points, it will be a walk in the park towards the end for them, just the way it was last season.
