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Jack Grealish and Phil Foden warned over conduct with Man City duo dropped over bar trip - Mirror Online

Jack Grealish and Phil Foden warned over conduct with Man City duo dropped  over bar trip  Mirror Online

Pep Guardiola has reminded Jack Grealish and Phil Foden of their responsibilities after dropping the two star midfielders from the Manchester City starting XI.

Grealish, 26, and Foden, 21, were in a celebratory mood after they scored City's first two goals in a jaw-dropping 7-0 thrashing of Leeds United last Tuesday.

The pair, who are also teammates in the England national team, toasted their victory by visiting a bar in Manchester just hours after they each played 90 minutes in the Premier League clash.

Guardiola welcomes his players taking time to wind down but his staff were less than impressed by Grealish and Foden's conditions as they reported for a recovery session on Wednesday.

The City boss is not believed to have been present at the training ground at the time, as he was in Barcelona for Sergio Aguero's retirement press conference.

Have Jack Grealish and Phil Foden let Manchester City down, or should they be allowed to blow off some steam? Have your say in the comments!

Phil Foden and Jack Grealish toasted Manchester City's victory with a night out
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish toasted Manchester City's victory with a night out

However, news of Grealish and Foden's antics reached him and he made the ruthless decision to drop them from the line-up to face Newcastle on Sunday.

Fortunately, City did not suffer from their absences and secured a resounding 4-0 win over the Magpies to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Playmakers Grealish and Foden were unused substitutes and Guardiola hinted they were in hot water as he spoke after the match, saying: "It was not rotation, no.

"I decided on this team because they deserved to play - these guys and not the other ones."

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Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Spaniard added: "At Christmas I pay a lot of attention to behaviour on and off the pitch. And when off the pitch is not proper, they are not going to play.

"We must be focused all the time because of distractions at Christmas and everything that happens. You have to still be focused."

Grealish and Foden's night out comes at a time of mounting coronavirus fears in the United Kingdom and growing concerns about more postponements in the Premier League, although the 20 clubs are determined to play on.

Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were on the scoresheet against Leeds
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were on the scoresheet against Leeds ( Getty Images)

It remains to be seen whether the duo will return to the starting XI for the Boxing Day clash with Leicester, although it seems unlikely they will be away from the fold for long due to the rigours of the hectic festive schedule.

City face Brentford three days after Leicester and have another away trip to the capital on New Year's Day to take on Arsenal.

Foden has been a standout performer for the Sky Blues this season with six goals and six assists in all competitions, while Grealish has contributed six goal involvements since his British-record £100million transfer.

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