Powerless at Wembley
Last April, Erling Haaland made no contributions in Manchester City’s two quarter-final matches against Real Madrid in the Champions League, with each side scoring 4 goals.
Haaland is considered one of the reasons why Manchester City faltered in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
The record of 6 goals in the Champions League, with only 1 goal in the knockout stage, is unusual for Haaland. Last season, he doubled this figure.
Criticism directed at Haaland eased somewhat when he “fired” on the Premier League stage, from his poker against Wolves to his brace bringing victory against Tottenham 2-0.
Recently, the Norwegian striker once again became the focus of criticism when he remained silent in crucial matches.
Against West Ham, a match in which Man City won and secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title, Haaland missed 3 clear chances.
The FA Cup final was the culmination of disappointment. The former Dortmund player contributed almost nothing to the game in which Man United defended and counterattacked extremely effectively.
In the first 45 minutes at Wembley, with Man United leading 2-0, Haaland only had 12 touches of the ball. He didn’t have any shots, didn’t create any chances, didn’t dribble past anyone, nor did he deliver any crosses.
Except for his wide movements, Haaland couldn’t do much else. He was tightly marked as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez reunited impressively.
Missing in crucial moments
As the FA Cup final concluded, Haaland had 2 shots off target and 1 shot hitting the crossbar, winning 33% of his duels.
This marks the 6th game where Haaland hasn’t scored in title-deciding matches since joining Man City.
First was the 2022 Community Shield against Liverpool. A year later, he remained silent in the English Super Cup against Arsenal.
Last year, in the Champions League final, Haaland was goalless. The same happened when Man City faced Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.
In the journey to clinch the treble with Man City last season, the Norwegian player also failed to score in the FA Cup final against MU. Now, in the rematch against the Red Devils, goals continue to elude him.
If we exclude the Community Shield, which only decides one title, in cup competitions, Haaland has participated in 9 matches between the semi-finals and finals with Man City.
These statistics reveal a sad fact: in these 9 matches, the 23-year-old striker has not scored any goals and has not provided any assists either.
Haaland has just won the Premier League Golden Boot for the second consecutive time, becoming the first player to successfully defend this title since Harry Kane in 2017. However, Phil Foden was the one who decided the championship for the Sky Blues.
Pep Guardiola often sees failure as a lever for change. Adjusting Haaland’s role will be crucial for Man City next season.
