Manchester Metropolis striker Erling Haaland might turn into essentially the most prolific goalscorer the Premier League has ever seen however after a passive efficiency in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester United his function within the workforce is being re-assessed.
Haaland had little affect in Metropolis’s play within the derby, taking solely 19 touches and registering solely two pictures, neither of which hit the goal.
His efficiency at Outdated Trafford was in stark distinction to when he scored three objectives and contributed two assists within the 6-3 drubbing of United in October, taking 35 touches and having six pictures.
Metropolis coach Pep Guardiola conceded his concern about Haaland’s involvement within the aftermath of a defeat which left Metropolis eight factors adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal after ceding eight factors of their final 5 matches.
“He had sufficient touches however it’s true that if you end up areas and it’s important to take a look at him,” Guardiola mentioned, including “we have now to search out him a bit bit extra”.
The Norwegian striker has scored 21 league objectives earlier than the midway stage of the league marketing campaign, two shy of equalling the 23 objectives joint-top scorers Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah managed over the whole thing of final season.
He’s effectively on monitor to interrupt the league file for 32 objectives in a 38-game season, set by Salah in 2017-18. Changing into the primary participant since Chelsea’s Jimmy Greaves in 1960-61 to attain 41 objectives in a single English top-flight marketing campaign can also be inside his attain.
His immense purpose depend, nevertheless, seems to have come at a value to Metropolis’s general play. After 18 matches they’ve 39 factors, 5 fewer than on the similar stage of final season, whereas they’ve conceded double the quantity of objectives, albeit scoring two extra.
Haaland’s arrival has additionally meant the remainder of the workforce have scored fewer objectives. Metropolis’s second prime scorer is Phil Foden on seven, with Julian Alvarez and Kevin De Bruyne subsequent, tied on three every.
Final season, when Metropolis pipped Liverpool to the title, De Bruyne was the workforce’s prime scorer on 15 league objectives, whereas Raheem Sterling obtained 13 and Riyad Mahrez 11. Eight gamers scored seven or extra objectives.
After the derby, former midfielder Dietmar Hamann claimed Metropolis have been “a greater workforce with out Haaland, even when he scores 40 objectives this season”.
Guardiola, nevertheless, insisted his workforce have been nonetheless enjoying how he wished. “I’d say the inconsistency was when it comes to outcomes however not performances,” he mentioned.