- Man City first debuted the measure at their training ground in 2014
- Everton have proven themselves as strong opponents against Arsenal and Chelsea in recent times
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts! Are Tottenham managers treated differently to other managers?
Manchester City’s struggling stars will be forced to sleep overnight at the club’s training ground ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Everton at 12.30pm.
Pep Guardiola revealed his charges will be towed from their family home and insisted he hopes they will embrace the measure with open arms.
City have lost nine of their last 12 games, the worst run of Guardiola’s career as manager, and last tasted victory on December 4 against Nottingham Forest.
Their stars were given the morning and afternoon time with their loved ones, and it is not unusual for footballers to be brought in later on Christmas Day
They debuted the night-time sleeping measure in 2014 and became the first Premier League club to do so, effectively using the ‘Etihad Campus’ as a hotel the night before home games.
“We’ll train today (Tuesday), we’ll train tomorrow night (Wednesday), we’ll stay here and we’ll play on Boxing Day,” Guardiola said.
Pep Guardiola forces Man City stars to sleep on their training ground ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Everton
It is not unusual for stars to be brought to training on Christmas Day in the afternoon
In 2014, City became the first Premier League club to house their players at their complex overnight
“Hopefully they want to be here because it’s our job.”
Everton have proven their qualities in recent times with a 4-0 win over Wolves before holding Arsenal and Chelsea to a 0-0 draw.
City will be hoping to counter an alarming decline in form that has seen them drop to seventh in the Premier League and four points behind fourth-placed Forest.
They had lost just nine in their previous 106 matches before this torrid 12-match spell, in which they suffered just as many defeats.
City have been bottom of the Premier League table for the last eight games and have collected a paltry four points – one less than second-worst Southampton, who recently sacked Russell Martin and replaced him with Ivan Juric.
In any case, they have called the players’ wives and girlfriends to the club’s Christmas party in an attempt to cheer them up.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan seemed to enjoy the occasion as their partners posted black and white photos on Instagram.
Gundogan and wife Sara went to the photo booth together with Silva and his wife Ines Degener Tomaz.
They are looking to turn around their form after losing nine of their last 12 games – an unprecedented run for Guardiola
Guardiola added: ‘This situation is new for all of us. It’s about us, everyone. The boys are running and trying harder than ever.
‘People say we’re not fighting, it’s this player, this manager – that’s not what it’s about.
“It’s a lot of small details or some big details that don’t make us as good as we were. But on Boxing Day we still have a chance.
“Players are coming back and at some point we will be better.”