Pep Guardiola offers verdict on Erling Haaland’s goalscoring struggles for Manchester City | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has empathised with the weight of expectation on Erling Haaland’s shoulders amid a difficult run in front of goal for the Norwegian.

Haaland scored his third goal in 11 games in all competitions for Manchester City from the penalty spot in injury time at Anfield on Sunday as the Blues secured a 2-1 comeback win at the home of the Premier League champions to stay in the title race against Arsenal.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find the back of the net in 2026 so far and speaking in a press conference ahead of Wednesday evening’s Premier League evening with Fulham, Guardiola gave his two cents on the criticism directed at Haaland as a result of the goals drying up.

On whether Haaland’s goalscoring tally is overlooked by people and is just seen as normal, Guardiola said: “Yeah, the problem with Erling, he has to deal with is his own numbers, his expectations. It’s not easy to do that for many, many years. So that is a challenge for him.

“When your expectations is five goals a season, they can improve, improve. But when the expectations are arriving here, we won the treble because he arrived and scored, I don’t know, how many goals in the first season, the expectations are there, and it looks like when he doesn’t score in four or five games, ‘Oh, what happened, what happened, what happened?’.

“Of course he has to be fresh here (in the mind) and happy and enjoyable. And don’t think too much; if you miss a shot, next one. Because the chances he’s always had. It’s not that in the games he didn’t score, he didn’t have the chances.

“He takes a lot of responsibility himself, he wants to help all the time, the way he celebrates the goal, he’s a guy who wants desperately to help the team and the club. But always I say to him, don’t put too much pressure.

“Go there and rely on your instinct, rely on your movement, anticipate the actions like your instinct has and your gut has, better than anyone in the world. And strikers always make a turn around and come back.”

Guardiola was full of praise for Haaland for showing the character to assume responsibility for a crucial penalty in injury time against Liverpool.

“I know it’s not easy,” the Manchester City boss added. “(At) Anfield, 91st or 92nd minute and the situation that we have, taking (a penalty) there and making this composer, his body language, with his eyes, there was fire there. And yeah, it’s not easy. And that defines the good players.”

On whether the winning penalty against Liverpool will spark Haaland to rediscover his goalscoring form from the first half of the season, Guardiola said: “Yes, of course. Hopefully, he can lift his mood. And, yeah, if the situation is this and his tiredness is down, it’s just one reason – it’s the calendar. So no more than that.”

On how rare it is to find a player like Haaland to have that mentality in the biggest moments, Guardiola added: “Erling, we cannot forget, he’s not 29, 30 years old, he’s young and it’s part of the process. Every season he lives, he’s a better player for the next one; how he knows his body better, how does it mean to play every three or four days.

“So we cannot forget. So the last games, maybe he doesn’t have the numbers that he wants, but we are in the position that we are thanks to him, the three quarters of the season. If Erling didn’t score, I don’t know who’s going to score.

“And Erling has been…we are in the position in the Champions League and especially in the Premier League, that without Erling, would not be possible.”

Haaland has not shied away from taking responsibility for his subdued goalscoring form of late, admitting to reporters after Sunday’s win in Merseyside that he knows he has not been up to the mark in the last month or so.

On Haaland appearing very calm in public and in the media, Guardiola said: “He’s calm but he puts pressure on himself. He knows how much we need him and he doesn’t want to leave the team disappointed for that. And that is a big attribute.

“I prefer that than ‘I don’t care’ – it’s completely the opposite. He’s suffering when he doesn’t score a goal, and don’t suffer! You do your best, run with the team and the rest is not important.”

Haaland is expected to retain his starting place against Fulham on Wednesday night as Manchester City look to keep up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, with Rayan Cherki expected to return to the starting XI and partner the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush in attack.