Manchester City have a major weapon that will be crucial while they put their squad together | OneFootball

While it may not seem like it right now given that Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and likely Savinho have departed Manchester City this week, Enzo Maresca does have a selection of quality players at his disposal for Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixture against Bournemouth. One of those players is superstar striker Erling Haaland. As City’s squad gets put together, Haaland looms as a key presence in this weekend’s match against Bournemouth and throughout the early stages of the 2026-27 season and beyond.

Erling Haaland typically starts every season with a bang.

For the past decade Pep Guardiola has been the face of Manchester City. That fact has been indisputable. However, now that Guardiola is no longer the City manager, a new face of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders has emerged. That is Erling Haaland. Haaland’s star and status in the game grew during the World Cup. He, and his team, will be hoping that Haaland’s World Cup form and rise carries into Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Manchester City enter Sunday’s match against Bournemouth with the ability to put out an imposing quality starting eleven. Haaland is likely to be the centrepiece of the eleven that Maresca selects. Given the mood surrounding City this week, picking up three points against Bournemouth would go some way to returning some excitement to the feeling around the FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders.

Erling Haaland could be key to City’s hopes of doing exactly that. Haaland is an inspirational figure for his team and his goals do lift the mood at the Etihad and his team. Typically, Haaland begins a new season with a bang. He has scored seven goals in four matches to begin a new season since he signed for Manchester City. If that form holds, Haaland could be poised for another big perfromance on Sunday.

Erling Haaland will be vital for Manchester City this season and he looms large over City’s hopes to take the next step.

It isn’t fair to place all of Manchester City’s hopes on Erling Haaland’s shoulders for the 2026-27 season. That is too heavy a burden for Haaland and it will be a squad effort for City to achieve success this season. However, it isn’t a stretch to say that Haaland is vital to his team’s prospects this season.

Watching Erling Haaland at the World Cup, he looked every bit a player in his prime. Haaland’s goals were vital in Norway’s run to the quarter-final stage of the 2026 World Cup. From a Manchester City point of view, they will be hoping that Haaland’s World Cup form is a sign of what is to come from him this season.

Manchester City have one of, if not, the world’s best strikers in Erling Haaland in their squad. It sounds ridiculous given what Haaland has already achieved in his career but he is entering the prime years of his career. Enzo Maresca’s squad needs to be completed. While that process takes place, Haaland could be key to his team getting off to a positive start this season, starting this Sunday against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.