“Without him, we’d be in more trouble” – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola DEFENDS Erling Haaland despite poor numbers in losing streak
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refrained from blaming Erling Haaland and his poor goal-scoring form for the club's recent downfall.
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refused to blame Erling Haaland for the club's recent defeats (via The Mirror)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refrained from blaming star striker Erling Haaland for the team’s recent poor displays. The Norwegian forward has stuttered in front of the goal in City’s last few matches, scoring just once in four starts.
The Cityzens are currently suffering from their worst run in the last few years, having lost five consecutive matches in a row. Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to win a match this month. This has left them eight points behind Liverpool on the EPL table and a dismal 10th on the UCL table.
One player who has faced the brunt for the club’s disastrous display is Erling Haaland. The 24-year-old has scored just a single goal in the club’s last four outings, with his strike coming in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton earlier this month. However, Guardiola refused to lay blame on Haaland in a recent press conference.
He rather insisted that his team would have fared worse if they did not have Haaland in the starting XI. Guardiola instead pointed to his team’s injury concerns as well as the lack of wingers. The Spaniard expressed confidence in Haaland’s ability to create chances and claimed that he would very soon return to his old goal-scoring form. The Norwegian still remains the EPL’s top scorer, with 12 goals in 12 appearances.
I would say the reason for our lack of goals is not Erling Haaland. Without Erling, we would be more in trouble! We are lucky to have Erling. Every game, he has three or four chances.
Pep Guardiola to reporters (H/T GOAL)
??? Pep Guardiola: “I would say the reason for our lack of goals is not Erling Haaland. Without Erling, we would be more in trouble!”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 25, 2024
“Erling will score 2/3 goals in one game soon, you’ll see. He always did that”. pic.twitter.com/B17YkaQNJf
It is true that Haaland would need to be at his previous best for Manchester City to end their winless streak. The club would hope to secure a win against Feyenoord, whom they face next in the UCL. It will be followed by a challenging EPL clash against Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola makes surprising Kevin de Bruyne admission, as Manchester City star returns from injury
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made a surprising admission regarding Kevin de Bruyne’s future at the club, as well as what lies ahead for the Belgian playmaker. The 33-year-old recently made his recovery from an abdominal issue that kept him out for two months.
Guardiola stated that the Belgian midfielder would not stay at Manchester City beyond the next few seasons if he is not at his best. He added that De Bruyne might not remain at the club, hinting toward a possible transfer to interested clubs in the Saudi PL. The 33-year-old contract with City ends next summer, and it will be interesting to see whether the club decides to offer him a new contract.
Kevin, I’m pretty sure, will be honest. I don’t think he will be here when he believes he doesn’t feel he can be the Kevin that can produce and help the team like he has done in the last decade.
Pep Guardiola on Kevin de Bruyne (H/T Mirror)
Nonetheless, the midfielder most recently made a substitute appearance in a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham. This has provided a major boost to manager Guardiola and the team. De Bruyne has been one of City’s most important players over the last few years.
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Siddhartha Roy
(699 Articles Published)