“We will be there” – Pep Guardiola makes concerning admission on Manchester City first-team star | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has ensured that he will be there to offer solutions to when Erling Haaland’s goals inevitably dry up.

Haaland has been in outrageous goalscoring form for the Blues this season, having netted 12 times in all competitions for Manchester City since August and scoring the only goal of their 1-0 win away at Brentford before the international break.

The 25-year-old has been Manchester City’s most important asset in overturning their early season slump, with the Norwegian’s goals dragging his side to fifth place in the Premier League amidst a rich vein of form since the end of August.

However, there has been a wide acceptance of Manchester City’s over-reliance on Haaland to bail them out of jail every other week as goals have dried up from midfield and the wings in recent seasons.

Guardiola has called upon his wide attackers to step up to the plate and alleviate Haaland’s burden, though the latter has shown no signs of letting up as he continues to terrorise defences and find the net.

Manchester City face Everton on Saturday upon the return of club football after the recent international break, wherein Haaland netted a treble in Norway’s 5-0 beating of Israel before returning to England ahead of schedule this week.

Haaland has been in the best form of his career this season and has evidently taken his all-round game to a new level – much to the chagrin of football tacticos and media pundits who have criticised the striker for his dormant demeanour off the ball since he joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

Speaking on Haaland’s form in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Guardiola assured that he will work to provide an alternative solution if and when Haaland’s goals dry up as the season progresses.

“What I say is when he (Haaland) is going to drop, because it’s impossible to sustain that, I will be there, we will be there,” the Manchester City manager said.

“We have this passion to help the team to do it, always we have to sustain that in bad moments. Now he (Haaland) doesn’t need compliments and doesn’t need anything special.”

Guardiola is aware that Haaland’s goals aren’t sustainable – a silly thing to say with a mere look at the Leeds-born man’s recent run of form – but the title isn’t won in the autumn and Manchester City need Haaland fit and firing for the entirety of the season.

The £82 million departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid last summer has finally caught up with Manchester City – who did not sign a like-for-like replacement for the Argentina international – and have since struggled in front of goal when Haaland hasn’t been firing.