Guardiola on Haaland, the Champions League and Arsenal ‘easy draw’ suggestions | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has answered on whether Erling Halaand’s game is evolving after the star striker turned creator last weekend.

The Norway international, whose game has been built on goalscoring, has now recorded three assists in his last four games.

It takes Haaland to seven Premier League assists this term, more than double the three he provided last season.

“It’s a good question for him,” said City’s boss. “I try to do my best for the players, normally the players who play a lot, a lot of minutes, evolve for themselves, just for the fact they have the experience to play games.”

“I always said, he’s a young player, since he arrived. It depends on him in that case, he can improve his game.

“I try to make Erling close to the box to score goals. There’s no more tactics than that, and the team will help him to score goals, it depends on the team.”

Guardiola spoke shortly after the completion of the Champions League round of 16 draw. City have been drawn against Real Madrid in the knockout stages for the fifth year in a row.

The Blues have also already faced the Spanish giants this season in the league phase.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit weird,” admitted the coach. “Normally it doesn’t happen, in the last game or group stage, Benfica-Real Madrid, and in the first draw, Real Madrid-Benfica. It looks different, I would say.”

The last ten winners of the competition have all been drawn on the same side of the bracket, giving City a very challenging potential route to the final.

It has also prompted suggestions that title rivals Arsenal will face less difficult fixtures on the other side of the bracket. Guardiola rejected this sentiment.

Asked if Arsenal have an easier side of the draw, City’s boss responded: “That would be so disrespectful.

“For example, Newcastle, Barcelona, top team. Atletico Madrid or Spurs. So I’m not a fan of that.

“I’m not saying Madrid is not difficult, everybody knows it. But the rest of the teams that you play, I don’t know, give me any team, all of them have the trick.

“If you want to go through in this competition right now, you have to beat the best teams, otherwise you don’t deserve it.”