Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his players could not revel in their 5-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday as hectic match scheduling had sucked some of the joy out of the sport.
The novel coronavirus pandemic forced last season to finish late and this campaign to be condensed into a shorter period, with a chorus of club managers lamenting the relentless schedule that they believe has contributed to more player injuries.
City, who bounced back from last week’s defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and moved up to eighth with the win against Burnley, travel to Porto for a Champions League game on Tuesday before facing Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
“The problem is the players lose the joy of playing football,” Guardiola told reporters. “Before it was nice playing once or twice a week with spectators. Now it’s three days and then another one. We will travel to Porto to win, then prepare against Fulham.”
City had netted just 10 times in their opening eight games before Saturday’s victory and Guardiola said his forwards must deliver if they are to retain their spot in the team.
“The goals help us, of course. Gabriel Jesus has to score goals. Raheem Sterling when he plays has to score. They have to score more goals. That is why they are here. It depends on the players, their performance on the pitch,” Guardiola said.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Supporters Trust (CST) says the club’s £75 (Sh9,883) ticket prices for their forthcoming Leeds game is a “clear exploitation of supporter loyalty”.
With London in tier two of the new Covid-19 restrictions, Chelsea will be able to welcome up to 2,000 fans when they host Leeds on December 5.
Supporters have not been allowed inside Stamford Bridge since March 8.
Tickets will be sold by ballot, but the CST says it is “extremely disappointed” at some of the pricing.
The CST said it had believed “tickets would be sold on 50 per cent loyalty points and 50 per cent on a first come, first served basis”, rather than a ballot.
The club say they “empathise with the many who will be disappointed to initially miss out”. Chelsea added in a statement on their website: “We listened to all the feedback, and we appreciate that not everyone will agree with the system being put in place.
“But at the very heart of all the decisions we have made on this matter is the desire to be as fair as possible to as many as possible. We ask for your patience as we work our way through all season ticket-holders eligible to attend.”
The ballot will only be open to season ticket-holders and hospitality members. However, season ticket-holders will only be able to apply for general admission tickets, while hospitality members cannot apply for general tickets.
While tickets for the Leeds game are £75 (Sh9,883) in the West Stand lower tier, they are £40 (Sh5,271) for the Shed End lower tier.
The Blues will also host Krasnodar in the Champions League on 8 December, with the price for tickets fixed at £35 (Sh4,612) in both the West Stand lower tier and the Shed End lower tier.
