Erling Haaland openly acknowledges he hasn’t performed up to standard in one of the most candid post-match interviews ever.
Manchester City’s struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League, as Erling Haaland delivered a frank assessment of his recent performances.
Pep Guardiola’s team has now suffered nine defeats in their last 12 matches across all competitions, including six losses in the Premier League. The latest setback at Villa Park began with Jhon Duran scoring in the first half after an excellent through ball from Youri Tielemans set up former City player Morgan Rogers, who squared the ball for Duran to finish past Stefan Ortega.
Rogers then doubled Villa’s lead after halftime, and while Phil Foden netted his first Premier League goal of the season in injury time, it was only a consolation as City’s poor run persisted. Haaland, last season’s top scorer, once again struggled to make an impact, managing just one shot and one touch in the opposition box, both in the 90th minute. His overall involvement was minimal, with only 18 touches and eight completed passes, and he has scored just three goals in his last ten league games.
Despite calls from some quarters to revert to a ‘false nine’ system, Guardiola defended Haaland’s place in the team, emphasizing that City are better with the Norwegian striker in the side.
Speaking after the match, Haaland admitted his performances have not been up to par. “We have to keep working,” he told TNT Sports. “The first thing I look at is myself—I haven’t been good enough, haven’t taken my chances, and haven’t been performing as I should. I need to improve. A lot depends on me, and I’ve fallen short.”
Haaland also stressed the importance of staying positive despite the team’s current difficulties. “Confidence is crucial, and you can see how it affects everyone. It’s tough, but we have to stay optimistic and work harder.”
The striker backed Guardiola to find solutions, especially with the January transfer window approaching. “He’s won the Premier League six times in seven years. We can never forget that. He’ll find the answers like he always has. We believe in him, but we must put in even more effort now.”
City fans are eager to see Guardiola make an exception to his usual reluctance to sign players in January, with Aymeric Laporte being his only winter signing since joining the club. However, The Athletic’s Sam Lee reported that midfielders Bruno Guimarães and Martin Zubimendi are not being considered as targets, despite speculation. Guimarães signed a contract extension with Newcastle in October 2023, while Zubimendi turned down a move to Liverpool i
n the summer.
