In the history of football, there are few teams that have been able to string together several seasons at a very high level and win titles. Indeed, this kind of accomplishment is reserved for the elite of football. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City aspires to be part of this elite. After a 2022-2023 season of all records for the Mancunian team, the Spanish technician’s squad has arguments to repeat such a feat during this new vintage. However, the start of the Skyblues season was more eventful than expected. The fault lies in the injuries of many executives who can get you out of a bad day with a gesture of which only they have the secret.
Initially, it was Kevin de Bruyne who was sidelined for four months due to a nasty hamstring injury. Obviously less brilliant without its Belgian metronome, the Mancunian collective had a second wind with the return of KDB during the transition to the new year. Predominant, the former Chelsea player changed the face of his team, but also had to cope without his attacking partner, Erling Haaland, who had injured his foot since December 10. But with the return of the Norwegian cyborg to the front of City’s attack, the team has been running at full capacity since the start of February.
Haaland relishes his return to competition
This Saturday against Everton, the 23-year-old striker found the net again. Established, the former Borussia Dortmund was able to be where he needed to be in the second half to score a saving double for the Cityzens (2-0). While these were his first goals since November 25 with City, Erling Haaland displayed ecstatic joy when celebrating his goals. Served by KDB during the second goal, the Belgian-Norwegian duo has lost none of its splendor and this comes at the right time for the Mancunian team. Indeed, in the coming months, Manchester City will defend their titles in the Premier League and the Champions League. And inevitably, the return to form of this providential duo should be reassuring for Mancunian supporters as the throne of leader of the Premier League was, at least provisionally, recovered this Saturday.
Questioned after the meeting, the former Borussia Dortmund spoke about his bromance with the 32-year-old attacking midfielder: “with Kevin de Bruyne, it’s special. I know I will receive the ball perfectly. There’s nothing wrong about the others, but that’s the little difference, you know the ball is going to go. It’s mostly natural… I saw for many years how he played the ball, and he hasn’t changed in five years. For me it was about coming in and finishing those actions.» More generally, the Premier League top scorer is happy to do what he loves by being back in competition and piling up the achievements: “no, it’s horrible, I really don’t like it. But it makes you enjoy training every day more, getting together for games, being a little nervous before games, all those things. It makes you think differently… Now, coming to training, I suddenly appreciate it a lot more, because I know what it’s like without it. It makes you think.»
