Erling Haaland has a habit of rewriting the record books at Manchester City, but for the first time this season his lack of scoring ability is starting to attract real attention.
At 6’5, Erling Haaland looks dwarfed next to this Belgian influencer.
The Norwegian star has now gone 270 minutes without scoring in three consecutive games, his last goal coming in City’s 3-1 win over Liverpool on November 9. For a player who had scored 14 goals in the Premier League up to that point and had shot to the top of the Golden Boot race, his sudden suspension was unusual and caused quiet concern both within and outside the club.
City have managed to keep winning during this short dry spell, but the obvious positive is the reminder that the team is not completely reliant on Haaland’s goals. Phil Foden, who was taken out of the rotation earlier this week, returned with a performance that highlighted his ability to take on more of the offensive burden if needed.
Important support for Haaland and City
For City, this kind of support will be vital as they move forward with their domestic and European efforts, especially if it takes time for Haaland to get back into his scoring rhythm. It’s a stark contrast to Haaland’s form at the start of the season. After Mohamed Salah’s historic 29-goal, 18-assist season last season, there were hopes that the Golden Boot race would be wide open again. Instead, Haaland quickly established a separation.
Even after missing a penalty against Liverpool on November 9, he found the back of the net to reach 14 league goals, strengthening his position as the clear leader. Chasers such as Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and Brighton’s Danny Welbeck are looking to close the gap, with Thiago making the biggest move by scoring twice in Week 12, but no one has seriously threatened Haaland’s place at the top.
That’s what makes this quiet stretch so noticeable. Not only is Haaland leading the Premier League’s scoring competition, he is also scoring at an historic rate across the competition. His current season tally stands at 32 goals in 20 games for club and country, averaging nearly 1.5 goals per game.
Context matters
There’s also the broader context of how Haaland is perceived. His goalscoring is so relentlessly efficient that his goalscoring at times becomes routine, and his frequent use of terms like “machine” and “cheat code” threatens to strip the human element from his games.
But this season he once again showed the range behind the numbers, from a delicate header against Napoli to an audacious effort against Manchester United to a relentless de Gaulle against Bournemouth. Even in games where he hasn’t scored recently, he continues to contribute with intelligent movements, cooperative plays, and off-the-ball plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
Still, the concern for Manchester City is not so much whether Haaland remains one of the best strikers in the world, but rather the timing. The team will be fighting on multiple fronts and will rely heavily on the pressure his goals put on their opponents as they aim for further league titles and a place in the Champions League.
