Guardiola Addresses City’s Struggles and Haaland’s Goal Drought
Pep Guardiola recently shared insights into Manchester City’s current struggles and addressed Erling Haaland’s recent lack of goals. According to the City boss, the Norwegian striker’s goal drought is tied to the team’s overall dip in form, rather than individual performance issues.
A Season of Unprecedented Challenges
Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, have faced an unexpected downturn this season, losing nine of their last 12 matches—matching the total number of defeats from their previous 106 games. This alarming shift has seen the Sky Blues plummet to seventh place in the Premier League standings, leaving them outside of European qualification spots as Christmas approaches.
Following their recent defeat to Aston Villa, Guardiola gave his squad a short break to reset before resuming training for the Boxing Day clash against Everton.
Guardiola on Haaland’s Form
When asked about Haaland’s recent performance, Guardiola responded:
“Well, first of all, Merry Christmas to everyone. The problem is not just one player—it’s about the team. When Haaland was scoring more frequently, it was because the team functioned better overall. Haaland is a crucial part of our squad, and we need to utilize him more effectively. However, this isn’t solely about him; it’s about improving as a team. The players are putting in more effort than ever, but certain key details, both small and significant, are preventing us from reaching our previous level of performance. We’ll use the Boxing Day game as a chance to improve and allow time for injured players to recover.”
Looking Ahead to Everton
When asked about their upcoming match against Everton, Guardiola emphasized the need to focus on their own performance:
“In this situation, there’s no such thing as an ideal opponent. It’s about us returning to our best form. While it will take time, we need results immediately. Everton have shown improvement lately, and their recent performances reflect that.”
Injury Update: John Stones
Regarding John Stones’ availability for the Everton match, Guardiola was uncertain:
“I don’t know yet. He had to come off in the second half at Villa Park, so there’s a chance he won’t be ready. We’ll evaluate during training, but as of now, I can’t confirm.”
Christmas Plans at City
Guardiola also shared how the team plans to spend Christmas:
“We have training sessions today and tomorrow night. The players will stay with us tomorrow morning and spend time with their families. Tomorrow night, we’ll regroup to prepare for Boxing Day. It’s part of our responsibility as professionals.