Man City Player Weights Revealed After Pep Guardiola Issues Christmas Warning

Pep Guardiola has once again underlined his obsession with fine margins after warning his Manchester City players not to return from the Christmas break carrying any extra weight.

City were given a short period away from training following Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham, but Guardiola made it clear that festive indulgence will not be tolerated as the title race intensifies.

With Manchester City set to weigh their players when they return to training, attention has inevitably turned to the current physical profile of Guardiola’s squad — and how it compares to their main rivals at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola to weigh Man City players after Christmas

The City manager confirmed that his squad were weighed before the West Ham victory and will be weighed again when they report back to training, ahead of the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on 27 December.

“The moment they arrive after three days [off] I want to see how they come back. They can eat but I want to control them,” said Guardiola, whose Man City future was the subject of speculation last week.

“Imagine one player and now he’s perfect but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will be in Manchester, he will not travel to Nottingham Forest.”

Guardiola added that while he has no major concerns about his players’ fitness or running levels, recent performances had fallen short of his expectations.

“The players asked me to have tomorrow’s training session off and I said no, because they didn’t play well enough,” he said.

“So Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”

Who are Man City’s heaviest players?

As elite athletes, all of Manchester City’s players are in fine physical condition. But there is a wide range between the heaviest players in Guardiola’s squad and the lightest, reflecting the very different demands placed on players depending on their roles.

At the top end of the scale is Erling Haaland (pictured above), listed at 87 kg, though that figure is spread across a powerful 1.96 m frame and is a product of muscle rather than excess weight. Haaland’s build is central to his effectiveness as a striker, allowing him to dominate defenders, hold off challenges and generate explosive power inside the penalty area.

In goal, Stefan Ortega is also listed at 87 kg, a typical profile for a modern goalkeeper who relies on upper-body strength, reach and stability rather than endurance running.

Among City’s defenders, John Stones (78 kg at 1.88 m) and Ruben Dias (76 kg at 1.88 m) provide a balance of strength and mobility that is crucial in Guardiola’s high defensive line, where centre-backs are expected to defend large spaces and contribute in possession.

Rank	Player	Position	Height	Weight
1	Gianluigi Donnarumma	Goalkeeper	1.96 m	88 kg
=2	Stefan Ortega	Goalkeeper	1.85 m	87 kg
=2	Erling Haaland	Forward	1.96 m	87 kg
=2	Nico Gonzalez	Midfielder	1.88 m	87 kg
=5	James Trafford	Goalkeeper	1.98 m	83 kg
=5	Abdukodir Khusanov	Defender	1.85 m	83 kg
=7	Marcus Bettinelli	Goalkeeper	1.93 m	82 kg
=7	Rodri	Midfielder	1.91 m	82 kg
9	Omar Marmoush	Forward	1.83 m	81 kg
=10	Josko Gvardiol	Defender	1.85 m	78 kg
=10	John Stones	Defender	1.88 m	78 kg
=10	Matheus Nunes	Midfielder	1.83 m	78 kg
=10	Mateo Kovacic	Midfielder	1.78 m	78 kg
14	Nico O’Reilly	Midfielder	1.78 m	77 kg
15	Ruben Dias	Defender	1.88 m	76 kg
=16	Kaden Braithwaite	Defender	1.93 m	73 kg
=16	Nathan Ake	Defender	1.80 m	73 kg
=16	Tijjani Reijnders	Midfielder	1.78 m	73 kg
19	Kalvin Phillips	Midfielder	1.78 m	72 kg
20	Rayan Cherki	Midfielder	1.80 m	71 kg

At the opposite end of the scale, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis are Manchester City’s lightest players, all listed at 63 kg. Their lighter frames suit Guardiola’s possession-heavy system, prioritising agility, acceleration and close control over physical duels.

For Guardiola, the concern at Christmas is not weight itself, but balance — ensuring any changes do not compromise sharpness, stamina or mobility at a crucial stage of the season.

How Man City’s player weights compare to title rivals Arsenal

A comparison of the two main contenders in this season’s Premier League title race shows that Manchester City and Arsenal are almost identical in terms of average squad weight, but with subtle differences in profile and emphasis.

City’s squad averages 75.70 kg per player, while Arsenal’s average is only marginally higher at 75.71 kg. In practical terms, there is almost nothing between the two sides when it comes to overall weight.

Where Arsenal do edge City is in height. Arsenal’s squad averages 1.84 m, compared to 1.83 m for City, reflecting a slightly taller physical profile overall.

The difference becomes more noticeable at the top end of the scale. Arsenal have two outfield players heavier than any of City’s non-goalkeepers, with William Saliba listed at 92 kg and Viktor Gyokeres at 88 kg. By comparison, Erling Haaland is City’s heaviest outfield player at 87 kg.

Those physical differences align neatly with Arsenal’s tactical approach under Mikel Arteta. Manager Arteta — who recently set Arsenal a club record points target in their quest to beat City to the title — places a lot of emphasis on set-pieces, with height and power in central areas giving them a consistent edge from corners and wide free-kicks.

Man City’s gruelling winter fixture list

Date	Competition	Fixture
Dec 27	Premier League	Nottm Forest (a)
Jan 1	Premier League	Sunderland (a)
Jan 4	Premier League	Chelsea (h)
Jan 7	Premier League	Brighton (h)
Jan 10	FA Cup	Exeter (h)
Jan 13	League Cup	Newcastle (a)
Jan 17	Premier League	Man United (a)
Jan 20	Champions League	Bodo/Glimt (a)
Jan 24	Premier League	Wolves (h)
Jan 28	Champions League	Galatasaray (h)
Feb 1	Premier League	Tottenham (a)
Feb 3	League Cup	Newcastle (h)
Feb 8	Premier League	Liverpool (a)
Feb 11	Premier League	Fulham (h)

Man City face an intense run of fixtures across multiple competitions from late December through mid-February, leaving little room for physical drop-off.

Between 27 December and 11 February, City are scheduled to play 14 matches in 47 days, averaging just over three days between games. With domestic and European commitments overlapping, recovery time is limited and physical margins are minimal.

That context explains Guardiola’s uncompromising stance over Christmas. Even small deviations in conditioning can have an outsized impact when fixtures come this thick and fast — particularly with the Premier League title and multiple cups still on the line.