Haaland is currently the best player on the planet. By the first weekend in November, he has scored 26 goals for club and country combined. It’s no surprise then that his amazing run of form has forced many to proclaim him the best striker in the world. With 13 of Manchester City’s 20 goals this season coming from his boots or head, it is clear that Haaland’s contributions are integral to the team’s success.
Haaland admits he’s on a hot streak at the moment. This epiphany resonates with musician and pundit alike. Though Manchester City has only lost one time since August, the reality is that without him, they’re likely a mid-table side. This has created a greater challenge for Manager Pep Guardiola. Beyond that, he needs to develop winning tactics in games when Haaland is not on the field.
Dominance in Scoring
Manchester City is the reigning Premier League champions and league’s highest-scoring team, and they currently sit in second place in the league table. A large part of this scoring output can be attributed to Haaland’s record-breaking performance. Five goals, that’s the total scored by one of his teammates this season. This total doesn’t yet account for an own goal from Maxime Esteve in last week’s match against Burnley. This statistic serves to underscore the depth of the dependency on Haaland to anchor their attack.
During Manchester City’s recent 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, Haaland’s contribution was crucial. His second goal turned out to be the most important one in preserving the victory and a powerful statement as well. That means Bournemouth has never even managed to get a point from a trip to Manchester City. On one hand, this is an amazing testament to the home team’s unrivaled dominance.
Guardiola’s tactics often revolve around utilizing Haaland’s strengths, but this dependency raises questions about the team’s depth. If Haaland is out long-term or short-term, do Manchester City continue to score at their record-breaking pace? Now, that’s the million-dollar question. So right now, they are in trouble if their new trend continues and players don’t develop into other sources of scored goals.
The Challenge Ahead
As Haaland continues to shine, Guardiola faces the challenge of preparing for scenarios in which his star striker is unavailable. It is incumbent on the manager to inspire the rest of the players to take ownership and be more involved in terms of finishing. The recent win against Bournemouth showcased Nico O’Reilly’s ability to score. It highlighted that goals not scored by Haaland are increasingly rare.
The team’s overall success hinges on finding a balance between relying on Haaland and fostering a more diverse scoring threat. Guardiola’s tactical tweaks will need to continue as the season wears on, especially in the more high-pressure, fierce contest matches where the opposition sharpens.
Plus, the influence of Haaland’s rampant scoring has had a huge impact on Manchester City’s success atop the Premier League table. More importantly, his willingness to score in key moments raises the team’s confidence and creates a competitive atmosphere in their games. The rest of the players, including Guardiola, will need to develop a true squad mentality that doesn’t lean so much on one ever-important, phenomenal talent.
Future Implications
It’s Manchester City’s downtime performances that will be most telling of their mettle outside of Haaland’s one-man hurricane. Teams can modify their tactics to offset his influence, which is doubly difficult for Guardiola. Building a squad that can adapt and create opportunities without their star striker will be vital for sustaining success throughout the season.
Manchester City cut out the Mission Impossible! They need to improve their player chemistry and get each member of the squad to improve upon and adopt an improvement to their scoring profile. The league is incredibly tight, and all teams will certainly look to take advantage of any gaps in City’s approach.
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