MANCHESTER – Pep Guardiola is hoping two rare free midweeks will refresh his “exhausted” Manchester City squad for the Premier League title run-in after labelling their 3-0 win over Fulham on Feb 11 one of their best showings of the season.

Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland struck in the first half as City built on the momentum gained from a dramatic late victory against Liverpool on Feb 8.

“One of the best (performances) of the season, especially after Anfield for our experience there, in an important, emotional game,” said Guardiola.

“The next one is always tricky. We were lucky we were home.”

Guardiola substituted Haaland at half-time and replaced Bernardo Silva and Rodri early in the second half.

City and are still involved in four competitions. But after the visit of League Two side Salford in the FA Cup on Feb 14, they have two free midweeks to prepare for Premier League games against Newcastle United and Leeds United before the end of February.

“Bernardo was exhausted, Rodri was exhausted. He (Rodri) didn’t lose one ball and then in the second half he lost 10 balls,” added Guardiola.

“Now we have Salford then we need to not see each other and rest. We have an incredibly tough schedule, like Arsenal, and we will have a midweek off.

“It’s been so tough and with a lot of injuries. Salford and then we need two, three, four or five days off.”

With the win, City have garnered 53 points from 26 matches, three points behind leaders Arsenal, who were scheduled to meet Brentford on Feb 12 in a match that kicked off after press time.

City netted all their goals in a 15-minute first-half spell. They opened accounts in the 24th minute, when a cross from the right was inadvertently directed back towards his own goal by Fulham midfielder Sander Berge and Semenyo was able to poke the ball into the net from close range.