Pep Guardiola Made Big Change to Man City Training Before Fulham Game

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed that his side have been training on longer grass this week ahead of the club’s Premier League showdown with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The 53-year-old fears that the turf on the Craven Cottage pitch will be long and dry for Saturday’s must-win match; therefore, he’s made his players prepare on a similar surface at the club’s Etihad campus.

City are currently one point behind league-leaders Arsenal, and a win in west London will see them go top for the time being. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners face Manchester United on Sunday in a blockbuster showdown at Old Trafford.

The Manchester outfit still have a game in hand over the north London giants, which will take place next Tuesday against Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham.

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Guardiola Tweaks Training For Craven Cottage Trip

Defeat in London could cost them the title

Guardiola revealed during his pre-match press conference that his stars practiced on the specially prepared pitch on Thursday ahead of the game. The City boss complained last season that the surface at Craven Cottage was ‘so long and so dry’ despite going on to win the game 2-1.

The revered Catalan coach is taking no chances this time around as his side continue their quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title. He told reporters, per the Daily Mail: “‘Yesterday we trained part of the session with dry, high (grass) to adapt, to feel it. After we went to normal grass and it’s a massive difference. Massive. It’s completely different.

The official Premier League guidelines state that grass should be less than 30mm long; however, Guardiola likes it as low as 21mm. He added: “We did part of our training session with dry, high grass. It’s a massive difference. We have to feel it to know what to do.”

Guardiola also accused Nottingham Forest of using the same pitch tactics to slow down his City side, commenting: “There have been a few games like it, not many because in England for ten months it’s winter, it’s raining.

“A 12.30pm kick-off is also different to 8pm, the forecast is sunny.” The Manchester outfit won the game 2-0 at the City Ground, but it wasn’t an easy victory by any stretch, though, with Forest conjuring up the lion’s share of the chances and having several really good opportunities to get on the scoresheet themselves.

While Forest had the stronger first half, Kevin De Bruyne was at his creative best once again, setting up Josko Gvardiol with a delicious ball to score City’s opener.

Despite pressure from Forest, City ultimately added a second and killed the game when Erling Haaland came off the bench in the second half and returned to scoring ways after a quiet period.

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Guardiola Says Players Must Adapt to Warm Conditions

City will be looking to go back to the top of the table

With warm spells hitting England and sunshine forecast for the lunchtime kick-off against Fulham, Guardiola believes the players will face conditions that they’re not used to.

“In England, out of 12 months, 10 are winter – it’s raining. When we arrive in the early games and last games [of the season], it is something we have to think about it and talk to the players about,” he said.

“I saw the forecast tomorrow, it’s a sunny day in London, a lovely city so we have to adapt to that situation – playing in another rhythm and another way. The passes have to be stronger and faster. To control we have to attack more the ball. It’s completely different, it’s not basketball.”

City head into the game on the back of thrashing Wolves 5-1 at the Etihad last weekend. A win against Fulham, and the pressure is back on the Gunners ahead of their trip to Old Trafford.