PREMIER LEAGUE
Haaland situation unsettling Manchester City
His poor vein of form, which was epitomized by lackluster performance at Anfield and statements about his future have unnerved many at the club.
Pep Guardiola has a continually hard job on his hands to ensure that Erling Haaland gets talked about for his goals and not for anything else. Manchester City were lucky to take a point at Anfield on Sunday against Liverpool with the home side dominating much of the action. One of the causes for concern from a City perspective was the lacklustre performance from the Norwegian striker. The target man was unassisted, almost isolated, but when tested, looked well off the pace in the high profile top of the table Premier League clash.
Haaland is experiencing one of his worst spells since he signed for City and looks to be off the pace in a physical level although his recent statistics are boosted up by the FA Cup match in Preston in which he scored five goals. In both recent Premier League tests (against United and Liverpool), the Norwegian lacked the continuous threat and menace his normal style of play traditionally personofies.
Disconcerting declarations
All this comes in a few days in which the player himself spoke about his future and left a comment that has puzzled many at the club. “I am very happy here with the club and with the coach. My future? This will make the headlines... We’ll see. “You never know what the future might bring,” he commented. Despite the interview being part of the media activity for the Champions League second leg match against FC Copenhagen, the comment hit the headlines around the world. City, a club who have a strict communication policy, were taken-aback by a statement that it in no way they would have wanted to have been made.
Haaland’s current deal with the Etihad Stadium outfit runs through to 2027 and the player is the spearhead of the current sporting project with Txiki Begiristain betting on the Norwegian over Kylian Mbappé with the Mancunian club aware that the French striker would become available (as has currently happened) at some point.
Haaland’s first season at the Etihad was fabulous with the club and striker recording a historic FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League treble. This year the club are gunning for a repeat of these three trophies having already claimed the FIFA Club World Cup last December but will need the best from the Norwegian as the season enters its final third.