SportsNews

EPL: Overweight players’ll miss Forest match, Guardiola warns

Published

3 months ago

December 22, 2025

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players that they will face weight checks when they return from their Christmas break, as he looks to ensure they are fit for the Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on December 27.

Man City closed out their pre-Christmas fixtures with a 3-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday, but Guardiola said discipline around fitness would remain non-negotiable during the festive period.

As reported by BBC Sports on Monday, the City boss revealed that players were weighed ahead of the West Ham match and met the required standards, stating that the same checks will be carried out when they return to training next week.

“When they arrive after three days off, I want to see how they come back. “They can eat, but I want to control them.

“If a player comes back with three kilos more, he will stay in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola is well known for his strict approach to conditioning. Earlier in his tenure as City manager, several players were excluded from first-team training until they met fitness targets. Former City defender Gael Clichy previously revealed that Guardiola advised players to avoid pizza, juice, and other heavy foods.

The manager has also addressed the issue publicly in the past, apologizing to midfielder Kalvin Phillips after describing him as “overweight” following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Despite Saturday’s comfortable win, Guardiola admitted he was not entirely pleased with his team’s performance.

He said the players requested Sunday off, but the session went ahead instead.

“They asked for Sunday off, and I said no, because they didn’t play well enough,” he said. “Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and then after three days off, they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”

City sit two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and will face Forest before travelling to Sunderland on New Year’s Day.

Guardiola said he has no major concerns about his squad’s fitness or work rate but believes improvement is still needed.

“We have to play better,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of giving players time with their families during a demanding schedule.

“I’ve learned in England that as many days off as you can give, you give them,” Guardiola added. “The calendar is so tight, and players need to switch off. When it’s time to play, they will be fresh.”

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SportsNews

Chelsea mathematically out of title race after 3-0 defeat to Everton

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.

This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.

However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.

Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.

The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.

Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.

SportsNews

Super Eagles player bounced me from Iheanacho’s room — Osimhen

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.

According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.

Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.

He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.

“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”

Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.

SportsNews

AFCON 2025; Drama as Senegal Reportedly Relocates Trophy To Military Base After CAF Decision (Video)

Published

3 days ago

March 20, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.

‎It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.

This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.

‎ According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.

The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.

In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.