Pep Guardiola is facing a number of problems at Manchester City, from the micro to the macro. Can he find a way to control the opposition's counter-attacks without Rodri? Does he have enough players in their prime to provide the stability he needs?
In that context, Erling Haaland suddenly became strangely depressed. Man City's defense is the main concern, but Haaland's finishing ability is also causing Guardiola a headache.
The 4-0 defeat to Tottenham has left the four-time Premier League champions in a deep crisis. Haaland still had 7 shots but could not find the net once. Therefore, the Norwegian international must take responsibility when The Citizens could not score for the first time in the tournament this year.
The waste of Haaland has become a trend in recent times. 14 players have scored more goals than Haaland in the Premier League since mid -September although the striker has the most opportunities.
Haaland scored the only goal against Southampton to help Man City win 1-0 at the end of October. However, in the reverse loss to Brighton, the striker missed many chances to double the gap for Man City.
Most recently, in the disastrous 0-4 defeat to Tottenham, the Norwegian player also had a series of good chances in the first 22 minutes. With the responsibility of a main striker, Haaland clearly should blame himself.
Haaland started the season in impressive form, scoring 10 goals in his first five Premier League games. But since the draw with Arsenal, everything has changed completely for Haaland.
In the last 7 matches in the domestic league, the player born in 2000 has only scored 2 goals from 8.03 expected goals (xG) - a modest number compared to the standards he once set.
Haaland's decline in form comes not only from his lack of luck in front of goal, but also from a lack of confidence - which is the Norwegian striker's strongest point.
Of course, Man City's style of play also has an impact on Haaland's form. Guardiola's team often dominates possession, but over-reliance on Haaland to decide the game has left him vulnerable to opponents.
"I don't consider Erling Haaland or any other player to be the reason behind Man City's poor scoring form recently. In fact, without Haaland, Man City would have faced more difficulties" - Guardiola said after the loss to Tottenham.
