Coach Pep Guardiola cannot avoid the problem. Manchester City has attracted a lot of attention this season due to their ineffectiveness in scoring in most positions, except for Erling Haaland. And the Spanish captain insists the situation cannot continue.
"Our other players have to work harder. We have to score more goals. If we don't create, that's fine, but when we create, we have to take advantage.
They know that, we've been talking about it all the time. In training, they finish very well, and they have to show that on the pitch. I don't doubt that when the opportunity comes, they will score," Guardiola said after the loss to Aston Villa.
However, until that becomes a reality, City are still heavily dependent on Haaland. In the Premier League alone, the Norwegian striker's 11 goals accounted for 64.7% of the total 17 goals scored by The Citizens. If he continues to maintain this rate until the end of the season, he will break the record held by James Beattie - who scored 53.5% of Southampton's goals (23/43) in the 2002-2003 season.
The story is similar when considering the expected goals (xG). Haaland has created 8.9 xG in the Premier League in the 2025-2026 season, accounting for 56.5% of the total xG of the team (15.78). Once again, this is the highest rate recorded since the 2012-13 season.
Of course, there is still time for Man City's scoring performance to be balanced, but the worrying thing is the level of their dependence on Haaland is becoming increasingly clear. Up to now, no other City player has scored more than one goal in the Premier League. Except for Haaland, the person who contributed the most to City was Burnley's centre-back Maxime Esteve, with two home goals.
Debate over reliance on a goalscorer is not new. Guardiola is not alone in this matter. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said in the summer that he would rather have "4 or 5 players scoring 10-12 goals per player" than a striker scoring 40 goals.
Similarly, Luis Enrique - after parting ways with Kylian Mbappe at PSG - also emphasized the importance of collective strength. And last season, this team won the first UEFA Champions League championship in history.
Even excellent players like Haaland cannot carry the entire burden of scoring for a team that is hungry for titles. In reality, the most successful teams in the Premier League often have many players who know how to contribute to the scoreboard.
Of course, there are still exceptions. But sustainable success rarely goes hand in hand with prolonged dependence on one individual.
Data shows that big teams often find a balance between a reliable striker and a squad of players who know how to share the task of scoring. Dependence to some extent is inevitable, as football history has always favoured forwards. However, it is important to ensure that the season does not collapse if the main goal source is exhausted.
In short, it is perhaps too early to conclude that Man City are too dependent on Haaland in the 2025-2026 season. At this point, any sign can make everyone think so. However, with just one or two of his teammates shining, Man City could become a familiar whirlwind.
And after all, if you have to put your faith in one person, there won't be many more reliable options than Haaland.
