Guardiola Impressed by Manchester City Squads Discipline on Holiday Weight Gains

Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, feels assured that his players have reacted perfectly after he cautioned them about avoiding excess weight during the holiday season.

The team achieved a straightforward 3-0 triumph over struggling Premier League side West Ham just before Christmas, keeping them only two points off the pace set by frontrunners Arsenal.

Guardiola, who has claimed six league championships since joining the Etihad, is renowned for his high standards, and he disclosed that his players were weighed prior to their brief holiday and instructed not to overeat before their Saturday away fixture at Nottingham Forest.

A win would position Guardiolas group back at the summit of the standings before the Gunners face Brighton.

Although the manager admitted to some festive indulgence himself, he anticipates that his athletes have upheld their physical condition.

"I earn four or five kilos more for the amount of food and drinks that I have drunk, so it is really good," said Guardiola.

However, regarding his team, he continued: "They have been incredibly disciplined since 10 years ago.

"Last season for the injuries that we had was a little bit more difficult, but always they behaved unbelievably.

"All the players I had in the last decade and that is not an exception today. We have a standard as a club, like everybody knows exactly what they have to do."

Manchester City are enjoying a streak of seven consecutive victories across all tournaments, remaining in the hunt for multiple honours.

"I prefer to be 10 points ahead of everyone but it is what it is. Arsenal's doing really well but we are there," said Guardiola.

"We are still in the end of December, in the Champions League we are up there, in the Premier League we are up there, we are in the semi-finals of the Carabao (League) Cup, the start of the FA Cup is soon.

"Some important players are coming back, so let's go step by step, game by game and see what is going to happen."

The upcoming Saturday game marks the first since the passing of Nottingham Forests legendary John Robertson, aged 72, announced on Christmas Day.

Robertson played a vital role in Forests consecutive European Cup successes, the Scottish winger assisting Trevor Francis header against Malmo in 1979 and netting the decisive strike the next year versus Hamburg.

"Forest away has always been tough, especially in this period and especially with an important person in the history and the legacy like Mr Robertson that unfortunately passed away," said Guardiola.

The home side sit just five points above the drop zone, yet Guardiola maintains that visiting Forests City Ground presents a challenging test.

"It has always been a tough, tough place to go – for the crowd, especially for the quality they have," he said.

"The team invested a lot in the last years and was promoted in the Premier League and they are a really, really good side."