Man City boosted by Pep Guardiola squad decision ahead of Arsenal title showdown

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has decided to give his squad two days off ahead of their title run-in with Arsenal. In a rare occurrence this season, the Sky Blues have a full week to prepare for Wolves' visit to the Etihad on Saturday.

Had they beaten Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, they would be facing Bayern Munich. However, the situation has allowed Guardiola to grant his team some downtime before the final stretch of their title race with the Gunners.

Following a gruelling run of four games in 12 days, including the Madrid clash, an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley, and two Premier League away matches, the players have been given Monday and Tuesday off to recover.

The City stars are set to return to the City Football Academy on Wednesday, where preparations will intensify for their last four matches.

Two of those four games will be played at home, providing City with not only the support of their fans but also familiar conditions. During their visit to the City Ground, the dry state of the pitch was a point of contention as it didn't suit their style of play, reports the Mirror.

Manchester City's Nathan Ake admitted the strain of the schedule, saying: "It's been hard, it's been tough," and highlighting the impact of travel fatigue after their recent match. "Even after Brighton, all the travelling and stuff. We could feel it a bit today but now it will be nice to have a few days' rest and prepare for the next one."

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Meanwhile, Arsenal are gearing up for an early kick-off against Bournemouth this Saturday. If the Gunners secure a win, City could find themselves four points behind when they take on Wolves later in the day.

Currently, Arsenal hold a slim lead at the top of the league table, having played one more game than Guardiola's reigning champions.