Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is set to miss the visit to West Ham next weekend following a touchline ban.
The Manchester City boss has picked up a two-game suspension after collecting six bookings. Guardiola was cautioned by referee Sam Barrott for a heated protest to fourth official Lewis Smith regarding a foul on Jeremy Doku and later joked publicly: “I might just go on holiday.”
That might actually be an excellent idea considering the importance of the game to West Ham. It also follows on from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola being banned from the touchline for our recent encounter at the London Stadium.
Huge game for West Ham survival
West Ham face Manchester City on Saturday 14 March in a fixture sandwiched between two crucial Champions League ties against Real Madrid.
With Arsenal stretching their lead at the top of the Premier League, City’s attention could easily drift towards Europe. Guardiola’s absence from the London Stadium touchline may also play its part.
From a West Ham perspective, anything that slightly disrupts City’s usual rhythm has to be considered a small positive.
With the Hammers battling for Premier League survival, even the tiniest advantage could prove significant. If Manchester City’s focus is on the Champions League and their manager is watching from the stands, it might just give West Ham a chance of getting something from what is shaping up to be a massive game for the club.
What a strange punishment. Some managers prefer to watch from the stands, what do they do with them if they step out of line? Make them sit on the bench?