Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has revealed that Pep Guardiola has called his struggling squad in to train on Christmas Day, breaking tradition.
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City lose again to Aston VillaSlip to seventh in PL tableCityzens now set to train on Christmas DayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Manchester City have been in abysmal form in recent weeks, slipping to seventh in the league standings and almost definitely out of the title race for the first time since the 2019-20 season. After the most recent defeat to Aston Villa, Guardiola is keen to turn around his side’s form for the last two clashes of 2024 and has Walker has revealed that the Catalan tactician has called the squad in on Christmas Day to prepare for their Boxing Day clash against Everton.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT WALKER SAID
Speaking on his ‘You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker’ podcast, the City captain – who has been badly out of sorts himself – said: "We've been fortunate in the past couple of seasons that we haven't had to train on Christmas Day. We are doing this season because we've got Everton at 12.30 on Boxing Day. But the last couple of seasons we've had Christmas Day off, which has been very nice…"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
As per reports earlier this week, Walker had plans to spend Christmas Day with his estranged wife Annie Kilner and their four children. However, Guardiola’s change in training plans may now jeopardise the Manchester City captain’s ‘last chance’ at saving his relationship with Kilner. The festive period has not been kind to Walker, as last year he was reportedly thrown out of his house following the revelation of his affair with former Love Island star Lauryn Goodman.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?
Guardiola’s side will be in action next on Boxing Day against Everton at the Etihad before they end their calendar year with a trip to the King Power for a clash against Leicester City on Sunday, December 29.