New Barcelona signing Ferran Torres thanked Pep Guardiola for his teachings as he admitted he always planned to return to LaLiga from Manchester City.

Torres was presented as a new Barca player on Monday after securing a move to Camp Nou in a deal that could be worth €65million.

The Spain international, who is recovering from a foot injury, is likely to have to wait until later this month to make his debut as Barca must offload players before registering their new forward to avoid breaching their salary cap.

Torres spent 18 months with City after joining from Valencia for around €23m (£20m), making 43 appearances in all competitions.

Among City players to feature for at least 1,000 minutes across all competitions since the start of last season, Torres boasted the highest goals per 90 minutes return (0.55) prior to his move to Barca being confirmed.

His expected goals on a per-90-minute basis of 0.44, was bettered by just Raheem Sterling (0.47) over that same period.

 

The 21-year-old was more of a winger at Valencia but was often deployed as a central striker for City, and it is expected he will play in a similar position under Xavi at Barca.

Torres credits Guardiola with helping him to become a versatile option, telling reporters: "I learned so much. Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the world.

"He got me to play in different positions, and I've learned to play as a striker. I leave with really beautiful memories, and they help me to face this challenge with ambition, humility and a lot of excitement.

"I always said I went to Manchester City to be able to come back one day to one of the big clubs in Spain. From the first moment Barca said they wanted me, I didn't even think about it.

"I come playing as a striker, but I always say my position is right-winger. But a player, when he is versatile, helps the coach more. That's what I intend to do.

"As long as I play, I don't mind what the position is."

Manchester City picked up from where they left off in 2021 by battling to a late 2-1 win over Arsenal, extending their lead at the Premier League summit.

A Riyad Mahrez penalty and a last-gasp strike from Rodri cancelled out Bukayo Saka's first-half opener after Gabriel Magalhaes received a needless red card for the Gunners in an action-packed game – the first top-flight match of 2022.

City's 11th league win in a row means they end New Year's Day with an 11-point advantage at the top, a tally bettered by only two clubs in the competition's history on January 1 – Manchester United in 1993-94 and City themselves in 2017-18 (both 12 points).

There were also victories for Tottenham and West Ham, the London pair seeing off Watford and Crystal Palace respectively to remain in firm contention for a top-four finish.

Here, Stats Perform unpacks the pick of Opta data from Saturday's action. 

Arsenal 1-2 Manchester City: Leaders recover to stretch winning run against Gunners

Saka's opening goal against City was only the second the Citizens have conceded in the first half of a Premier League game this season, and the first such goal they have shipped on their travels since May.

That was the England international's sixth league goal of the season and was the 36th goal scored by a player aged 21 or under for Arsenal in the English top flight since Mikel Arteta's first game on Boxing Day 2019 – eight more than any other team.

Mahrez converted a contentiously awarded penalty shortly before the hour mark at Emirates Stadium, the Algeria international scoring for a fifth game running in all competitions, and Gabriel's second yellow card – 78 seconds after his first – swung the game in City's favour.

That was Arsenal's 100th red card in the Premier League era, making them the first side to reach that milestone, with Everton (99), Newcastle United (90) and Chelsea (82) next on the list.

Rodri completed the turnaround with City's latest winning goal in a league game since May 2018 (92:28) as the Citizens made it 10 successive top-flight victories over the Gunners, an opponent Pep Guardiola has yet to lose against in the league in 12 encounters.

Watford 0-1 Tottenham: Sanchez stings Hornets in late Spurs win

Tottenham also left it late to overcome Watford and make it eight Premier League games without defeat under Antonio Conte, extending the longest unbeaten start by a Spurs boss in league competition.

Davinson Sanchez made the breakthrough with 95 minutes and 45 seconds played, with that the latest winning goal Spurs have scored in the top flight since Opta started recording such data from 2006-07.

Watford dug deep but could not quite hold on for a valuable point, meaning they have now lost more Premier League matches (nine) since Claudio Ranieri took charge in October than any other side in the division.

Sanchez's goal was his second in five Premier League matches for Spurs, which is more than he had netted in his first 108 in the competition (one), with the defender heading in from a Son Heung-min free-kick.

Watford boss Ranieri has now lost each of his last five Premier League games against Italian managers, whereas compatriot Conte has never lost against a fellow Italian in the competition in six meetings, winning all but one of those.

Crystal Palace 2-3 West Ham: Hammers survive Olise-inspired scare

Palace fell just short of pulling off a remarkable comeback as they lost a home league match on New Year's Day for the first time in their history, with this their 14th such match.

Michail Antonio's close-range finish and a Manuel Lanzini double gave West Ham a commanding three-goal lead, the latter having now scored 52 per cent of his 25 Premier League goals in London derbies (13) – the highest percentage of any player to have scored at least 20 times in the competition.

Michael Olise made a huge difference from the bench by setting up Odsonne Edouard and then scoring a second for Palace late on, making him the first Eagles player to score and assist as a substitute in the Premier League.

But the visitors held on to ensure boss David Moyes made it six straight away league wins against Palace as a manager, defeating a different coach on each occasion during that perfect run (Alan Smith, Iain Dowie, Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson and now Patrick Vieira).

Rodri says Manchester City demonstrated their "champions' personality" as they snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over 10-man Arsenal.

The Premier League leaders left it at the Emirates, the Spain international striking in the third minute of stoppage time to send Pep Guardiola's side 11 points clear at the summit of the table.

The contest had appeared to be heading for a stalemate after Riyad Mahrez equalised from the penalty spot to cancel out Bukayo Saka's first-half effort.

Despite dominating possession (70.9 per cent), City were far from their best, registering just two shots on target from 15 attempts. 

Nevertheless, Rodri believes he and his team-mates reaped the rewards for their persistence, while he also paid tribute to Arsenal's display in the absence of boss Mikel Arteta following his positive COVID-19 test.

"This kind of game, you always have two or three in a season," he told BT Sport.

"They're an unbelievable team; they show why they're in that position. The way they grow with Mikel is huge, massive.

"They did a good game but fortunately, we saw our champions' personality. I've learned from previous years you have to push always, no matter what happens. 

"We were 1-0 down in the break. Suddenly, things change. We didn't do a great game, but we pushed; never dropped, and always thought it was possible."

Arsenal were on a five-match winning streak at the Emirates, keeping a clean sheet in each of their four most recent outings on home soil.

The Gunners were unlucky not to quickly retake the lead after Mahrez's equaliser, with Nathan Ake just about clearing off the line following a mix-up between Aymeric Laporte and Ederson, before Gabriel Magalhaes was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

And City boss Guardiola acknowledged that those fine margins proved crucial for his side, who he felt lacked energy during their third match in the space of six days.

"They [Arsenal] were better," he said. "We faced a team who have struggled to be in top four and start the season at the bottom. Now, they are in the top four. 

"They had six or seven days since their last game at Norwich; we had three days since Brentford. 

"We didn't have energy. In the second half, one minute changed with the penalty, one minute the [near] own goal and the sending off. 

"Sometimes, the coin falls on your side, sometimes the other side. We know how much it means to win at the Emirates at the moment and the good team they are."

Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal will be missing their "most important player" on Saturday in the forced absence of head coach Mikel Arteta, who he believes has the Gunners in the best shape since even before Arsene Wenger retired.

Club great Wenger left Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years in charge, during which time he presided over some glorious times but then also saw the club fall behind the Premier League's leading lights towards the end.

Unai Emery replaced Wenger but only lasted 18 months before eventually seeing fellow Basque coach Arteta succeed him, the former Arsenal captain leaving his role as Guardiola's assistant at City in order to take up the job.

Arteta's win percentage (55.1 per cent) may be no better than Emery's (55.1 per cent) but he recently celebrated his two-year anniversary in charge and the club appear on course for a largely positive season after an early wobble.

Saturday's visit of Premier League leaders City comes three days after Arteta tested positive for coronavirus, however.

Guardiola believes it could be a massive blow for the Gunners.

"I would say Mikel maybe is the most important player they have," the City boss told reporters. "I know his charisma, his ideas and especially the personality to do what he believes to do for the best, for the team or for the best for the club.

"So, no doubt about that. The most important thing we want is for him to stay well, that the symptoms are low as everything is under control and recovering after the protocols, and come back soon.

"And then the place that you love is on the touchline, in the training sessions, but I know exactly which Arsenal is going to play, with Mikel or without Mikel."

Arsenal are averaging exactly two goals per game this season, the best they have recorded since Wenger left, while their 1.6 expected goals (xG) is also a high over that period.

It was initially thought Arteta would attempt to implement a Guardiola-inspired possession-based system at the club, though their average passing figures have decreased from 523.7 each game in Emery's only full campaign to 476.3 this season, with Arsenal more willing to relinquish the ball and spring fast breaks.

While their 15 fast breaks may only rank as the eighth-highest in the Premier League this season, their frequency has more than doubled to 0.65 such occasions per game from 0.32 in each of the past two campaigns under Arteta, highlighting a shift in mentality.

Arsenal's record against City is dreadful as they have lost each of their past nine league meetings with them – including the 5-0 hammering suffered in August – making it the club's longest ever losing run against a single opponent.

Yet Arteta has overseen a five-match winning streak as well as a run of five successive home league victories, keeping a clean sheet in last four – not since 1999 have they won five in a row at home without conceding in the top flight.

As such, Arsenal are up to fourth with a four-point cushion over West Ham and Manchester United, leaving Guardiola under no illusion as to the level Arsenal are currently playing at.

Asked if Arsenal are at their best since Arteta took over, Guardiola replied: "Absolutely, but not just since Mikel took over as manager. I think it is the best Arsenal for the last four or five years.

"So, it's no secret they are now top four. The energy they are playing with the good ideas that Mikel has, and the end result is that this is an example that to sell something, you need time.

"I had the feeling, not just the club, or the team, it is obvious that he has changed the club. I'm pretty sure he felt for many things that when he started at Arsenal, maybe it wasn't good and he took it step by step.

"Maybe right now we are going to face one of the one or two best teams in the Premier League right now, in the best form with incredible young players that are dynamic.

"They are playing with the same back four which is stable and the physicality they have, the pace they have, the quality means there are more spaces. So it will be a real, real tough game.

"So, as I said, since I arrived here this is the best Arsenal I've ever seen, and it is already six seasons [since he moved to England]."

Pep Guardiola says he has never doubted Phil Foden's quality on the field after the youngster marked his return to the Manchester City side with the only goal against Brentford.

Foden finished superbly from a Kevin De Bruyne cross to score his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign and fire City to a 1-0 victory in Wednesday's clash in west London.

The 21-year-old, along with Jack Grealish, had been left out of City's line-up for their previous two matches after being warned about his off-the-field behaviour by Guardiola. 

That came after the pair were pictured in a nightclub mingling with others without wearing a mask a day before taking part in a recovery training session.

But Foden was back in Guardiola's good books thanks to his match-winning moment at the Brentford Community Stadium, with that goal taking City eight points clear at the top.

"Exceptional," Guardiola told Amazon Prime when asked about the performances of Foden and De Bruyne in attack. 

"With Foden, he's already a football player. We never had any doubts about his quality. We knew it. Since he came to play with us, always he's been exceptional."

Foden was fielded in a false nine position he is now becoming accustomed to and scored from one of his two attempts against Brentford, the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for a possible offside.

At 21 years and 215 days, Foden became the second-youngest City player to score 20 Premier League goals after team-mate Gabriel Jesus (21y, 40d).

Five of those strikes have come in 921 minutes of action this season – the equivalent of just over 10 entire games – each from his left foot.

Asked about his preferred position in the side, Foden said: "Wherever the manager puts me, I will do my best for the team. I started on the left. It is good, I am adaptable.

"I've have a few goals this year that have been ruled offside so I wasn't too confident about this one. I thought I went a bit too early, but thank god the goal counted. 

"I am really happy. There were a few when I went a bit early and was offside. We could have won by more. We kept working hard."

City were not at their best but did enough to take advantage of Liverpool's defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday and Chelsea's home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion elsewhere on Wednesday.

All five previous sides to be eight points ahead at the start of a new calendar year have gone on to win the Premier League title, including City themselves in 2017-18.

Despite having racked up 10 wins on the spin for the fourth time under Guardiola, he is taking nothing for granted.

"There are 54 points left to play," he said. "So when you put it in this perspective eight points is ridiculous.

"But we've won ten games in a row and this is one of our targets. We don't have much time and on January 1 we play Arsenal, who are one the best teams right now on form."

Pep Guardiola says he has never doubted Phil Foden's quality on the field after the youngster marked his return to the Manchester City side with the only goal against Brentford.

Foden finished superbly from a Kevin De Bruyne cross to score his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign and fire City to a 1-0 victory in Wednesday's clash in west London.

The 21-year-old, along with Jack Grealish, had been left out of City's line-up for their previous two matches after being warned about his off-the-field behaviour by Guardiola. 

That came after the pair were pictured in a nightclub mingling with others without wearing a mask a day before taking part in a recovery training session.

But Foden was back in Guardiola's good books thanks to his match-winning moment at the Brentford Community Stadium, with that goal taking City eight points clear at the top.

"Exceptional," Guardiola told Amazon Prime when asked about the performances of Foden and De Bruyne in attack. 

"With Foden, he's already a football player. We never had any doubts about his quality. We knew it. Since he came to play with us, always he's been exceptional."

Foden was fielded in a false nine position he is now becoming accustomed to and scored from one of his two attempts against Brentford, the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for a possible offside.

At 21 years and 215 days, Foden became the second-youngest City player to score 20 Premier League goals after team-mate Gabriel Jesus (21y, 40d).

Five of those strikes have come in 921 minutes of action this season – the equivalent of just over 10 entire games – each from his left foot.

Asked about his preferred position in the side, Foden said: "Wherever the manager puts me, I will do my best for the team. I started on the left. It is good, I am adaptable.

"I've have a few goals this year that have been ruled offside so I wasn't too confident about this one. I thought I went a bit too early, but thank god the goal counted. 

"I am really happy. There were a few when I went a bit early and was offside. We could have won by more. We kept working hard."

City were not at their best but did enough to take advantage of Liverpool's defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday and Chelsea's home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion elsewhere on Wednesday.

All five previous sides to be eight points ahead at the start of a new calendar year have gone on to win the Premier League title, including City themselves in 2017-18.

Despite having racked up 10 wins on the spin for the fourth time under Guardiola, he is taking nothing for granted.

"There are 54 points left to play," he said. "So when you put it in this perspective eight points is ridiculous.

"But we've won ten games in a row and this is one of our targets. We don't have much time and on January 1 we play Arsenal, who are one the best teams right now on form."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes Kevin De Bruyne is only going to improve following his impressive recent goalscoring form.

The midfield maestro heads into Wednesday's showdown with Brentford having found the net three times in City's past three Premier League outings.

That included a brace in the 7-0 rout of Leeds United on December 14, with no player on target more often in the English top flight since then.

De Bruyne, who also scored the opener in the Premier League leaders' entertaining 6-3 win over Leicester City on December 26, has been a revelation since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in August 2015.

Indeed, no player has registered more assists (77) or created more chances (572) than the Belgium international over the past six years.

Guardiola says the recent surge in De Bruyne's performances has been evident following a difficult spell earlier this season.

"He is getting better, by far," the Man City boss said. "He has something unique in the world. We know that he is an exceptional player. 

"He struggled in the beginning of the season, and now is much, much better. 

"The game against Leeds was really good, and [against Leicester] he played a really, really good home game. 

"He is a fighter and a guy who creates goals and assists. We know it."

Full of momentum, City travel to the Brentford Community Stadium seeking a 10th successive league victory.

Nevertheless, Guardiola insists his side cannot take anything for granted against the promoted Bees, who have already beaten Arsenal, drawn with Liverpool and given Chelsea a scare during their maiden Premier League campaign.

"They made an incredible start of the season. They are doing really well," he added.

"I saw the game against Chelsea; they lost, but they were incredible. They drew against Liverpool, they beat Arsenal. [They are a] top team."

Barcelona on Tuesday confirmed they have reached an agreement to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City for a reported fee of €65million.

The Spain international returns to LaLiga following an 18-month spell in the Premier League and has signed a deal until June 2027.

Barca are said to be paying an initial €55m (£46.7m) and as much as €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons.

The Catalan giants revealed a €1billion release clause has been inserted in Torres' contract and he will be officially unveiled at Camp Nou on January 3.

City initially spent roughly €23m (£20m) to sign Torres from Valencia in 2020, meaning they have more than doubled their money on a player who has never truly been considered a first-choice starter.

Barca had been linked with Torres in pre-season but their crippling financial state meant transfer outlays were implausible.

The club's debts have topped €1.4billion this year and as a result of their financial performance, they saw their LaLiga salary cap slashed by €280m to just €97m, hence their inability to retain Lionel Messi.

That saw Barca slip from having the second-highest wage limit last season to seventh in 2021-22.

 

Speculation ahead of Torres' signing led to many pondering how Barca can suddenly afford such a significant transfer fee so soon, but reports indicate they recently took out a significant loan to ensure they can.

Torres' arrival means new coach Xavi has the type of young, dynamic attacker he had been after, with the 21-year-old capable of playing through the middle and out on the right, where he was most-frequently used at Valencia.

Since Xavi's return to Barca as head coach, he has spoken regularly about a desire to play with classic wingers, while his reluctance to use Luuk de Jong as the focal point of their attack has suggested a preference for a quick and energetic central striker – Torres fits the bill on both counts.

Yet he leaves City as something of an enigma, having only made 15 Premier League starts in 2020-21, and this season Torres has managed just four appearances in the top flight due to a foot injury he sustained on international duty in October.

As much as it feels he has left City before the Premier League truly got to know him, in his limited time Torres has made an impact on the pitch for City.

Among City players to feature for at least 1,000 minutes across all competitions since the start of last season, Torres' 0.55 goals per 90 minutes is the highest and none of his strikes have been from the penalty spot.

 

His average of 2.8 shots (per 90) is third only to Kevin De Bruyne (3.3) and Riyad Mahrez (3.2), and his expected goals on a per-90-minute basis of 0.44 is bettered by just Raheem Sterling (0.47), showing that Torres' high goals frequency comes from being a consistent threat.

Torres' 1.1 chances created on average is well down the list at City, however. While this may partly reflect the fact he has featured as a central striker often, perhaps greater productivity in this area would have seen City put up more of a fight to keep him.

Nevertheless, the signing represents something of a coup for a Barcelona that just a few months ago was incapable of paying for players of such a calibre.

Barcelona on Tuesday confirmed they have reached an agreement to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City for a reported fee of €65million.

The Spain international returns to LaLiga following an 18-month spell in the Premier League and has signed a deal until June 2027.

Barca are said to be paying an initial €55m (£46.7m) and as much as €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons.

City initially spent roughly €23m (£20m) to sign Torres from Valencia in 2020, meaning they have more than doubled their money on a player who has never truly been considered a first-choice starter.

Barca had been linked with Torres in pre-season but their crippling financial state meant transfer outlays were implausible.

The club's debts have topped €1.4billion this year and as a result of their financial performance, they saw their LaLiga salary cap slashed by €280m to just €97m, hence their inability to retain Lionel Messi.

That saw Barca slip from having the second-highest wage limit last season to seventh in 2021-22.

 

Speculation ahead of Torres' signing led to many pondering how Barca can suddenly afford such a significant transfer fee so soon, but reports indicate they recently took out a significant loan to ensure they can.

Torres' arrival means new coach Xavi has the type of young, dynamic attacker he had been after, with the 21-year-old capable of playing through the middle and out on the right, where he was most-frequently used at Valencia.

Since Xavi's return to Barca as head coach, he has spoken regularly about a desire to play with classic wingers, while his reluctance to use Luuk de Jong as the focal point of their attack has suggested a preference for a quick and energetic central striker – Torres fits the bill on both counts.

Yet he leaves City as something of an enigma, having only made 15 Premier League starts in 2020-21, and this season Torres has managed just four appearances in the top flight due to a foot injury he sustained on international duty in October.

As much as it feels he has left City before the Premier League truly got to know him, in his limited time Torres has made an impact on the pitch for City.

Among City players to feature for at least 1,000 minutes across all competitions since the start of last season, Torres' 0.55 goals per 90 minutes is the highest and none of his strikes have been from the penalty spot.

 

His average of 2.8 shots (per 90) is third only to Kevin De Bruyne (3.3) and Riyad Mahrez (3.2), and his expected goals on a per-90-minute basis of 0.44 is bettered by just Raheem Sterling (0.47), showing that Torres' high goals frequency comes from being a consistent threat.

Torres' 1.1 chances created on average is well down the list at City, however. While this may partly reflect the fact he has featured as a central striker often, perhaps greater productivity in this area would have seen City put up more of a fight to keep him.

Nevertheless, the signing represents something of a coup for a Barcelona that just a few months ago was incapable of paying for players of such a calibre.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Leicester City for playing their part in the epic 6-3 Boxing Day thriller at the Etihad Stadium.

The Premier League champions moved six points clear at the top of the table, but they were given a scare by the Foxes.

Guardiola’s side raced into a 4-0 lead inside 25 minutes, only for Leicester to reduce the deficit to a single goal after striking three times in the space of 10 second-half minutes.

However, further goals from Aymeric Laporte and Raheem Sterling - his second of the game - eventually sealed a ninth consecutive top-flight victory for City.

Guardiola reflected on a "weird" and highly entertaining seventh successive home Boxing Day win for the leaders.

"It was a Boxing Day game. It was a nice game to watch and three more points. We keep going," he told BBC Sport.

"The quality of players we have produced this amount of actions to score goals. No manager and tactics can solve it without the quality.

"It was weird. Even at 4-0 in the first half, every time they had the ball, they arrived in the final third delivering good passes. They have a lot of quality; they are a master of counter-attacks.

"They changed in the second half. They didn’t play to press high. They were close. 

"The game was so dangerous. We didn’t play bad in the second half. The game was not over. With set-pieces, we could win the game."

Sterling found the net for the fourth successive Premier League match; doing so for the first time since between August and September 2017.

The England international was also full of praise for the spirit demonstrated by the Foxes.

"The manager warned us at half-time," he said.

"Leicester conceded four in the first half but every time they attacked, they created chances.

"It's disappointing. We just had to control the game. At 4-0 up, you have to kill the game. 

"Leicester have some really good players. They didn't get disheartened and kept going; Credit to them."

Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were again named as substitutes by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for the visit of Leicester City.

The England pair were pictured on a night out after City's 7-0 rout against Leeds United earlier in December and dropped out of Guardiola's starting line-up for the 4-0 win over Newcastle United last Sunday.

City staff were reported to be disappointed by the condition of the pair when they reported for a recovery session after the Leeds game and Guardiola reminded City players of their responsibilities once more on Friday.

Guardiola again decided Grealish and Foden should be among the substitutes for the Boxing Day clash with Leicester.

Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez were the three selected to start in the frontline for the reigning Premier League champions, tasked with breaching Leicester's shaky defence.

The visiting Foxes also named Jamie Vardy on the bench for the game at the Etihad Stadium, where the forward scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win in this fixture last season.

Vardy scored a first-half brace before the EFL Cup penalty shoot-out defeat against Liverpool in midweek, with the striker not fit enough to take a spot-kick after suffering from a hamstring injury.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers opted for caution with his selection, given his side again face Jurgen Klopp's side in the league on Tuesday, with Vardy dropping to the bench as former Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho started up top.

The visitors were without Timothy Castagne and Jonny Evans as Rodgers remained hampered by injuries in defence, while Harvey Barnes also missed out with Ademola Lookman taking over his usual slot on the left wing.

Jack Grealish admits adapting to life at Manchester City has been "so much more difficult than I thought" and accepts the pressure that comes with his £100million price tag.

Attacking midfielder Grealish has yet to properly hit top form for the Premier League champions since his bumper move from Aston Villa in the last transfer window.

So far, Grealish has contributed three goals, three assists and created 44 chances for his team-mates across 20 appearances in all competitions.

The spotlight was on Grealish and team-mate Phil Foden when the duo were pictured leaving a nightclub following City's 7-0 hammering of Leeds United, with the club said to have been unhappy with their condition when they turned up for a recovery session the following day.

That saw both players miss out in the 4-0 rout of Newcastle United, though they could be back when Pep Guardiola's side host Leicester City on Boxing Day.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of that fixture, Grealish reflected on life at City since his move.

"I've done okay so far. I've got so much more to give. It's been so much more difficult than I thought it was going to be," he said.

"I'm still learning and adapting. I've heard some people take a year to adapt here so maybe it will be the same for me. I want to score more and set up more goals next year.

"It's crazy because the standards here are so high on and off the pitch. It's unbelievable and it's why they have been so successful over the years.

"Having a £100m price tag means when you are going through a dry patch people ask if you are worth the money - where are his goals, where are his assists? I understand that, but I have to see it as a privilege that the club wanted to spend that much money on me and I hope I can repay them with goals and trophies.

"Playing in the Champions League is completely different to the Premier League - I had never played in Europe before, and I really wanted to. It's unbelievable to hear the Champions League anthem, it makes you pinch yourself. It's one trophy the players here really want to win."

Prior to his move to City, Grealish was part of the England side that reached the final of the rescheduled Euro 2020, only to suffer penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Italy in the Wembley final.

Grealish described 2021 as the "best summer of my life" and is able to reflect back with pride on England's tournament.

"Playing for England in the summer was unbelievable. Now it's gone, I look back on memories and photos and videos and I realise just how special it was," he added.

"It was such a shame to lose on penalties, it is one of the worst ways to lose. Looking back it was definitely the best summer of my life. 

"It was special for the country and the players and our families. It was a shame we couldn't go all the way, but it makes us more motivated to go all the way in the World Cup next year.

"Of course, we can win the World Cup. I'm not going to sit here and say we are going to win it. We've definitely got a good chance and the way we played in the Euros gives us belief that we can win the World Cup.

"I came here to City to try and win trophies. That's what you look at when your career ends - trophies and medals. Losing out with England has made me want to win trophies with City even more. 

"We are playing some brilliant football at the moment and we are giving ourselves a really good chance of going on and winning a few trophies. That's why I came here."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says players and coaches should consider going on strike about player welfare concerns to get football authorities to take the issue seriously.

Amid the rising COVID-19 outbreak in the Premier League which has seen games postponed, clubs are scheduled to have three matchdays during the traditional upcoming festive week.

The Man City boss provocatively suggested that players and managers should strike in response to the situation to demand a reduction in their workload.

"Should the players and the managers be all together and make a strike?" Guardiola said during the post-game news conference.

"Just through words it’s not going to be solved. For FIFA, the Premier League, the broadcasters, the business is more important than their welfare.

"The simplest example is all around the world they have five substitutions; here it’s still three. Tell me one argument to take care of players’ welfare than this one? Here, where everyone decides for themselves, we didn’t do it.

"I don't think [a strike would happen] because we want to play, we want to continue. Make the people happy going to the stadium on the 26th, 27th, 29th, 31st [December] and 1st [January] and play games because we love to do that.

"I'm not saying there's a reason to make a strike. But when people say World Cups, European Cups, Carabao Cup semifinals over two legs, and FA Cups and the Premier League; more games and more games and less holidays.

"They need holidays. They need a rest for two or three weeks. And now we talk about welfare for players in that moment? No. It's a problem."

Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Maheta Molango reinforced Guardiola's messaging, adding that the issue cannot be ignored any longer.

"I can tell you that it isn't going away. Players don't choose to speak out on issues like this without having given it a lot of thought," he said. "As their union, the PFA enables players to stand together. That unity gives them enormous strength.

"Now it's up to those who run the game at all levels to begin to take this seriously so it's an issue that can be addressed constructively with players at the heart of the conversation. That has to happen now."

Pep Guardiola has reminded his Manchester City players of their responsibilities after Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were pictured on a night out.

Earlier this week, photographs were published in the Telegraph showing the unmasked England duo believed to be at a nightclub posing for selfies with fans following City's 7-0 rout of Leeds United. 

The pair, whose condition when they reported for a recovery session the following day reportedly angered club staff, were dropped to the bench during last weekend's 4-0 win over Newcastle United.

Guardiola said after the game the changes were made due to behavioural issues off the pitch, though he did not specifically refer to Grealish and Foden.

The club has issued guidelines for their players and staff to follow in light of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in England, but it is unclear whether the midfielders broke any rules.

Addressing the media ahead of his side's scheduled clash with Leicester City on Boxing Day, Guardiola said: "They are not rules, I'm not police. They are old enough to know what they have to do.

"We are not alone in the world, we are living with people. Being careful, we are exposed. Just be careful, that's all.

"In this career, the work on and off the pitch is so important. The managers, too, we have to live for the profession – all the time.

"Otherwise, there are guys who live every second in the profession, they sustain for longer. This message I give to them six years ago, and many times [since].

"You have to prepare, there are a lot of players who live this way, that's why we are consistent."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists he will not stand in the way of Ferran Torres' expected transfer to Barcelona, saying he is happy for the forward.

The Spain international has been heavily linked with a move to Barca, who will reportedly pay an initial €55million (£46.7m) and as much as €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons.

Torres, who arrived from Valencia 18 months ago, has made six appearances for City in all competitions this season, scoring two goals and looked sharp at the start of the season.

However, his momentum stalled after suffering a fractured foot while on international duty at the Nations League in October.

Guardiola acknowledged the opportunity to join his former club Barcelona is difficult for his compatriot to turn down, but he said City will not seek a replacement for the 21-year-old, who has netted 16 times in 43 appearances for the club.

"If you want to leave because you're not happy here and you believe you'll be happy somewhere else, you have to go," Guardiola said.

"A career is short and one day, it's over. If he wants to leave, absolutely no disappointment. I'm happy for him.

"Always, I have the feeling if Barcelona and Real Madrid want a player, it's difficult to say no. They are the strongest teams in the world. 

"He knocked on my door and said he wants to leave; I said leave. I cannot push the players or convince the player if his mind is elsewhere.

"We won't bring in a striker in January."

City are due to welcome Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.

The two scheduled early kick-offs were postponed on Thursday, after six of last weekend's 10 Premier League games were also called off.

The league confirmed that scheduled fixtures would continue across the festive period during an emergency meeting between top-flight clubs earlier this week.

Applications for postponements are being considered on a case-by-case basis with emergency measures reintroduced in light of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in England.

"What we want is for people stay safe and well, social distance and wear masks," Guardiola added.

"The welfare for the players should be the most important.

"We are living in special circumstances that we cannot live free like in the past. The pandemic is still here. Everyone has to try to follow as much as possible.

"What the league decides, we support."

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