Man City stars forced to SLEEP on training ground overnight by Pep Guardiola ahead of Everton clash on Boxing Day

  • Man City first debuted the measure at their training ground back in 2014
  • Everton have proved tough opponents against Arsenal and Chelsea recently
  • LISTEN NOW: It’s all about to start! Are Tottenham managers treated differently to other managers?

Manchester City’s struggling stars will be forced to sleep at the club’s training ground overnight ahead of their clash with Everton at 7pm. 12.30 p.m.

Pep Guardiola revealed his charges will be dragged away from their family home and insisted he hopes they embrace the measure with open arms.

City have lost nine of their last 12 games, the worst run of Guardiola’s managerial career, and last tasted victory on December 4 against Nottingham Forest.

Their stars got the morning and afternoon with their loved ones and it is not uncommon for footballers to be brought in later on Christmas Day.

They debuted sleeping overnight in 2014, becoming the first Premier League club to do so, effectively using the ‘Etihad Campus’ as a hotel the night before home games for lunchtime kick-offs. Their base has 80 bedrooms with sleep-enhancing wallpaper, while £150,000 was spent on mattresses and pillows.

“We train today (Tuesday), we train tomorrow (Wednesday) night, we stay here and we will play on Boxing Day,” Guardiola said.

Man City stars forced to SLEEP on training ground overnight by Pep Guardiola ahead of Everton clash on Boxing Day

Pep Guardiola is forcing Man City’s stars to sleep on their training ground ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Everton

it is not uncommon for stars to be brought in for training on Christmas Day in the afternoon

it is not uncommon for stars to be brought in for training on Christmas Day in the afternoon

City became the first Premier League club to house their players overnight at their complex in 2014

City became the first Premier League club to house their players overnight at their complex in 2014

‘Hopefully they’ll be here because that’s our job.’

Everton have proven their mettle in recent times with a 4-0 win over Wolves before holding Arsenal and Chelsea to a 0-0 draw.

City are hoping to arrest an alarming loss of form which has seen them drop to seventh in the Premier League and four points off fourth-placed Forest.

They had lost just nine of their previous 106 matches before this torrid 12-match run, which has seen them suffer defeat as many times.

City are bottom of the Premier League form table over their last eight games having picked up a paltry four points – one less than second-worst Southampton, who recently sacked Russell Martin and replaced him with Ivan Juric.

At least they invited the players’ wives and girlfriends to the club’s Christmas party in an attempt to lift spirits.

The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan appeared to be enjoying the occasion with their partners, posting black and white pictures on Instagram.

Gundogan and wife Sara went to the photo booth with Silva and his wife Ines Degener Tomaz.

They are looking to turn their form around after losing nine of their last 12 games - an unprecedented bad run for Guardiola

They are looking to turn their form around after losing nine of their last 12 matches – an unprecedented poor run for Guardiola

Guardiola added: ‘This situation is new for all of us. It’s about us, all of us. The guys are running and making an effort more than ever.

‘People say we don’t run, fight, it’s this player, this manager – it’s not about that.

‘It’s about many small details or some big details that make us not as good as we were. But we have another option on Boxing Day.

“We have players coming back and at a certain point we will be better.”