Erling Haaland is the top scorer in Manchester City's derby matches in the Premier League era, but that is almost imperceptible in the 0-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. On the field, only the lackluster image of the striker who has repeatedly caused sorrow for the "Red Devils" remains.
Pep Guardiola withdrew Haaland from the field when the match was almost decided, right after Patrick Dorgu's goal to increase the score to 2-0. The Norwegian striker closed 80 minutes of play with only 14 touches, three successful passes and not a single shot on target. When lacking the biggest threat in attack, The Citizens completely fell into a deadlock.
Haaland being replaced by Divine Mukasa - a midfielder who is only 18 years old and only has 15 minutes of experience in the Premier League - shows that Guardiola's attacking options at this time are extremely limited. Omar Marmoush's return after the African Cup is therefore becoming more urgent than ever.
Partly so. We have new energy. The problem is not only with Erling, but the problem is with the whole squad. Today the team that played better won. They have the energy that we do not have, so congratulations. We cannot control the match. We have the responsibility to analyze the whole match and they played better" - Guardiola said after losing to Man United.
Before the derby, Guardiola warned about Haaland's overload, and the forgettable performance at Old Trafford further emphasized that concern. Man City's number one striker has gone 7 consecutive games without scoring from a live ball situation - his longest goalless streak since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020.
Although they have added Antoine Semenyo to the wing and are about to complete the contract with central defender Marc Guehi, Man City still needs another center forward capable of sharing the scoring burden for Haaland. Team depth is the factor that helps Arsenal create a clear advantage in the championship race.
The race has not yet been decided, but Man City's recent 4-match winless streak clearly does not bring much optimism. Notably, this period of decline completely coincides with Haaland's goal drought.
The only scenario that can help change the situation is that the Norwegian striker reaches a state of fitness and regains his peak form. It feels like Haaland really needs rest, and luckily for Man City when they have a rare week off before welcoming Wolves at home.
Until Haaland regains his familiar scoring instinct, Man City will still face a big problem in the championship race.
The important thing is how the team develops. We have done a lot of good things this season, but there are still many problems in some positions. Football is like that, there are seasons you cannot win the championship. What needs to be done is to continue to analyze, improve and move forward" - Guardiola added.
