It is in the moments when the boat rocks the most that we recognize the true captains of the ship. And at Manchester City, they are struggling to reveal themselves. Stuck in an unprecedented crisis since the takeover of the Saudis, with only a small victory in their last 13 matches, the reigning English champions face the danger of finding themselves on the brink of emptiness. And it would not be crazy to imagine them finishing the season empty-handed, without the slightest trophy, which has not happened for 7 years.
If Pep Guardiola has never denied his share of responsibility in this collapse, the latter also bears the signature of the players, and in particular that of Erling Haaland. So often quick to light up Manchester City’s evenings for two years, the Norwegian now goes through matches in the shadows. In total darkness, even. His figures also say a lot about his loss of influence, since he has only scored one goal in his last 7 matches, his worst series since his arrival in England.
Haaland is in turmoil
This week again against Everton, Haaland was defeated. And Jordan Pickford even ate his brain from the penalty spot, an exercise that he likes and which could have allowed him to put his head back on track. Against Aston Villa five days earlier (2-1), he had already been off his game, with only 18 balls touched, for 0 shots, 0 dribbles, and 6 lost balls. Same story during the derby against Manchester United, and against Juventus in C1, where he stood out more by his absence than by his goals.
“In the past, when we scored goals and Erling was so prolific in helping us, it was because of the team. And when you have problems at the back and in the middle, the problems are for everyone, it’s a team problem. It’s not about one player, it would be easy if there was just one player. Erling is very important to us and will continue to be so. We have to try to do things better and use it better”Pep Guardiola confided this week. With a still diminished Kevin De Bruyne, a Rodri still absent, and wingers less impactful than before around him, Haaland will also have to think about reinventing himself, and freeing himself from his role as a pure finisher. A rebound will be expected tomorrow against Leicester.
