Erling Haaland is once again the center of attention in England. Last Sunday during Manchester City’s spectacular comeback at Anfield against Liverpool, the Norwegian striker, who had not scored in the game for eight Premier League games, scored a penalty in added time, allowing his team to leave with a valuable result. Despite the breakthrough performance, the former Dormtund giant remains critical of himself and admits there is no excuse for his periods of irregularity.
Erling Haaland’s season remains impressive on a statistical level. With 21 goals already scored, he is well on his way to winning a third Golden Boot in four years. Yet the Norwegian insists he still needs to improve his consistency and contribution in the game, even after a major win against Liverpool. His crucial role was particularly visible when he assisted in Bernardo Silva’s equalizer before converting the winning penalty, underlining the importance of his leadership and presence in Manchester City’s title race.
Guardiola calms the Cyborg
In a recent press briefing, Pep Guardiola stepped up to the plate. The Spanish boss insisted on the need for Haaland to step back and release the pressure he puts on himself. “The problem with Erling is that he has to manage his own statistics and the expectations that come with them. This is his challenge. He puts a lot of responsibility on himself. I always tell him not to put too much pressure on himself. To trust his instinct, his movements, to anticipate the actions that his intuition allows him to do better than anyone in the world. He is calm. But he puts pressure on himself. He knows how much we need him, he doesn’t want to disappoint the team. It’s great quality. I prefer that to someone who doesn’t care. He is the complete opposite, he suffers when he doesn’t score a goal. Don’t suffer, do your best.”. According to Guardiola, Haaland showed “the fire in the eyes” during his preparation for the penalty and his exuberant celebrations demonstrated a release of frustration accumulated during this unusual period of offensive drought.
Following his press conference, Guardiola made a point of recalling the player’s indispensable status for several months. “In the last few games he may not have gotten the stats he wanted, but we are where we are because of him. For three quarters of the season, if Erling hadn’t scored, I don’t know who would have scored. In the Champions League, and especially in the Premier League, we are in a position where, without Erling, it would be impossible. He wants to help all the time. Look at how he celebrated the goal, he’s a player who really wants to help the team and the club. When you go four or five games without scoring, you wonder what happened. Of course, he must be relaxed, happy and have fun. You shouldn’t think too much, even when you miss shots“. The pressure exerted by the coach is not a questioning of the Norwegian’s talent, but rather a reminder of the importance of consistency and concentration in key moments of the season. At 25, Haaland remains at the heart of City’s ambitions, and his performance against Liverpool can do him a lot of good.
