Players have lost the joy of playing football without supporters, admits Pep Guardiola

With Burnley losing the last three away games by a 5-0 margin against Manchester City, few expected the Clarets to sneak away from Manchester with a win, even against a struggling City side who were sitting in 13th place. However, the game saw the Cityzens finally find their rhythm and mojo as they stormed away to a 5-0 win over Burnley which pushed them into the relegation zone.

But for Manchester City, the win pushed them five spots on the Premier League table with Pep Guardiola’s side only six points off first place Tottenham now. However, despite the win, Guardiola admitted that his side have struggled to revel and enjoy their victories because of a hectic fixture schedule. The City boss further added that playing without fans makes it even harder for the players.

"The problem is the players lose the joy of playing football. 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," Guardiola said, reported ESPN.

"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," he further added.