Football fans had hoped Manchester City would be blazing this season after the acquisition of Norwegian goal machine, Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
However, things have not gone entirely to plan.
Pep Guardiola oversaw two title-winning seasons playing without a recognised striker for choice over want, as he had the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus at his disposal in those years.
Haaland seemed to have slotted in seamlessly, having scored 21 Premier League goals this season, but Man City are now eight points behind league leaders, Arsenal at the middle of the season, as reported by Washington Post.
Guardiola demands more from Haaland
Haaland is getting the goals, but Man City have become more predictable with him in the side. Some even believe the team is better without him, as noted by Sport Bible.
Speaking after the loss to Man United in the derby, as quoted by Daily Star, the Citizens' boss agreed with the need for his striker to get more involved in the games beyond just scoring.
"Yes, we have to find him a little bit more. He had enough touches, but it’s true that when you are looking at areas, then you have to look at him. But we will do it. Everyone can get him more involved. When we have the ball, everyone is allowed to attack,'' he said.
As analysed by Marca, the former Dortmund striker scores a goal for every 14 touches.
By comparison, Robert Lewandowski scores with 48.5 and Harry Kane scores with 41.8 touches, which highlights the fact that Haaland does not get involved in games as much.
Source: SportsBrief
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