Sawt Falasteen - Guardiola proud of Man City players' response to weighty issues

City enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 pre-Christmas win over Premier League strugglers West Ham to stay just two points behind leaders Arsenal.

But Guardiola, who has won six league titles during his spell at the Etihad, is famously demanding, revealing his men had been weighed before their short break and told not to over-indulge ahead of Saturday's early kick-off away to Nottingham Forest.

Victory will see Guardiola's side back on top of the table before the Gunners host Brighton.

And while the manager confessed to a degree of seasonal excess, he expects his players to have maintained their fitness standards.

"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.

But turning to his squad, he added: "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."

City are on a run of seven straight wins in all competitions, with the club in contention for several trophies.

"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."

Saturday's match will be the first since the death of Forest great John Robertson, aged 72, was announced on Christmas Day.

Robertson was a key figure in Forest's back-to-back European Cup final triumphs, the Scotland winger setting up Trevor Francis' goal against Malmo in 1979 and scoring the lone goal himself the following year against 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 hosts may only be five points clear of the relegation zone but Guardiola insisted a match at Forest's City Ground was a tricky assignment.

"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."

J.AbuShaban--SF-PST