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(Reuters) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his players could not revel in their 5-0 win over Burnley on Saturday as the hectic match schedule had absorbed some of the joy of the sport.
The new coronavirus pandemic forced last season to end late and this campaign to be condensed into a shorter period, with a chorus of club managers lamenting the relentless schedule they believe has contributed to more player injuries.
City, which bounced back from last week’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur and moved up to eighth with a win over Burnley, travel to Porto for a Champions League match on Tuesday before taking on Fulham in the Premier League. League on Saturday.
“The problem is that the players lose the joy of playing football,” Guardiola told reporters.
“Before it was nice to play once or twice a week with the spectators. Now it’s three days and then another. We will travel to Porto to win, then we will prepare against Fulham.”
City had scored just 10 times in their first eight games before Saturday’s victory and Guardiola said their forwards must deliver if they want to retain their place in the team.
“Goals help us, of course. Gabriel Jesus has to score goals. Raheem Sterling has to score when he plays. They have to score more goals. That’s why they are here. It depends on the players, their performance on the field,” “Guardiola said .
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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