Pep Guardiola has banned his Manchester City stars from running too much.

The Spaniard reckons his players were working too hard at the start of the season when results went against them.

But a return to the tiki-taka style that helped City win back-to-back Premier League titles has seen Guardiola’s men reel off six straight wins to get their campaign back on track.

Guardiola, whose side host Brighton tomorrow night, said: “The only difference now is that we run less.

“We were running too much, with football you have to walk – or run much less. Without the ball you have to run, but with the ball you stay more in position and let the ball run, not you. That’s improved in these games.