EPL

Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland

By Sports Desk May 27, 2023

Pep Guardiola has no doubt “goal machine” Erling Haaland is ready to fire in Manchester City’s two upcoming finals.

The prolific Norwegian’s output has slowed in recent weeks with just one goal in his last six games.

For someone who has plundered 52 in a remarkable season that is a relative drought but that is hardly troubling Guardiola ahead of the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

Premier League champions City face Manchester United at Wembley next weekend before travelling to Istanbul to take on Inter Milan for the European crown seven days later.

City manager Guardiola said: “I’m not going to doubt about the scoring machine, Erling, right now.

“We had the chances. Maybe he’s waiting for the right moment. He will be ready in the right moment to score the goals. He’s ready.

“I’m very pleased he’s achieved all he’s achieved, and the goals and the records.

“Then he goes to Brighton and plays the way he played. He still did damage (without scoring).

“He could say, ‘I’m waiting for the two finals’ but it’s completely the opposite and I like that.”

Guardiola has been impressed by how Haaland has dealt with expectation in his first season in English football.

“I don’t feel he’s felt much pressure,” Guardiola said. “I think he’s handled it really well. He laughs, I think, when people (mention) expectations.

“I remember in the Community Shield, we lost 3-1 and he missed one clear chance – all the memes, all the people talked about that.

“I was close to him and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I will score goals’. He’s this type of guy. He has incredible self-confidence in himself that all he needs is the chance to score the goals.

“It doesn’t matter what happened, he’ll never lose confidence. You define the football players and the athletes in the bad moments. It’s how you react.”

City, who secured the title last weekend, wrap up their Premier League campaign at Brentford on Sunday.

The Bees inflicted City’s only home defeat of the season when they won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium with an Ivan Toney double in November.

Toney will not be involved this time after the striker was banned for eight months for breaching betting regulations.

Guardiola hopes the player bounces back after he has served his punishment.

Guardiola said: “Everyone has problems. If he made a mistake, you accept it and learn from that and (take) a new opportunity. I’m pretty sure he will be (back) better.”

Related items

  • Haaland has 'full trust' in Guardiola to halt Man City slump Haaland has 'full trust' in Guardiola to halt Man City slump

    Erling Haaland has "full trust" in the "best manager in the world", Pep Guardiola, to get Manchester City back on track against Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday. 

    Guardiola's side have lost four matches in a row across all competitions, which is the Spaniard's longest losing run in his entire managerial career. 

    The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).

    But after putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract extension at the club earlier this week, Guardiola has his eyes firmly set on returning to winning ways on home soil. 

    And Haaland, who has scored 105 goals in 114 appearances under Guardiola at City, believes they can make up the gap to leaders Liverpool, who are five points ahead. 

    "When you look at what he's been doing for the club, he's not bad, is he? So he's got my full trust," Haaland told Sky Sports. 

    "And if he tells me something, I'd better do it because he knows the best in the end. Everyone knows that. So I'm sure he will find solutions now as well. I'm sure of that.

    "[Guardiola] demands us to be at our best in every training session, in every game. And that's what we need to do. It hasn't been good enough, losing four games now, but let's try to win the next."

  • Arsenal handed another injury blow as White ruled out for 'months' Arsenal handed another injury blow as White ruled out for 'months'

    Mikel Arteta confirmed that Arsenal defender Ben White is facing "months" on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury. 

    White had been dealing with several issues all season and has missed five games in all competitions for the Gunners already this term. 

    After struggling through until the November international break, the decision was taken for him to undergo surgery in order to finally address the ongoing problems.

    It serves as a bitter blow for Arteta, with only Thomas Parety (13) making more interceptions than White (11) for Arsenal in the Premier League this campaign. 

    Though Arteta confirmed that the surgery was successful, White is set for a lengthy spell out of the team. 

    "It has been different kinds of struggles. It has never been the same thing, but we had to make a decision. He has not improved over the last few weeks, unfortunately," said Arteta.

    "We know that Ben is going to push every boundary, but it got to the point where we have to protect the player and we decided to do the surgery.

    "He agreed with that and it is going to keep him out for a few months."

    Asked for a specific time frame, Arteta added: "We have to see how he reacts post-surgery. I don't expect it to be half a year, but I cannot tell you exactly."

    It offers a concern for Arteta in the full-back area, with the Spaniard also revealing on Friday that Takehiro Tomiyasu is "going to be out as well for a bit".

    There was, however, some positive injury news for the Gunners ahead of welcoming Nottingham Forest to the Emirates on Saturday. 

    After not featuring for England during the international break, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are expected to be fit to feature against Nuno Espirito Santo's side. 

    Leandro Trossard will also be available for Arteta despite picking up a hamstring injury during the international break with Belgium.

    Defender Riccardo Calafiori is also in contention for Saturday's game after a month out with a knee problem. 

  • Conte hopes for Ranieri's success at Roma after Napoli clash Conte hopes for Ranieri's success at Roma after Napoli clash

    Antonio Conte hopes that everything will go well for Claudio Ranieri after he came out of retirement to take charge of Roma, but only after their Serie A clash this weekend.

    Ranieri was tempted back into management by a return to where he began as a player. His third spell at Roma comes after the club sacked two coaches already this season and with the team 12th in the standings.

    A trip to leaders Napoli is Ranieri's first task, and Conte is looking forward to meeting up with the 73-year-old.

    "I am pleased to see Claudio, I have great esteem for him and there is also friendship," Conte told reporters ahead of Sunday's game.

    "I am happy with the chance he has been given. It will be a tough game, for us and for them. Last year, Roma finished ahead of Napoli, they are in the Europa League and had a good transfer window.

    "They are not performing according to expectations and I hope for Claudio that everything starts to work after Sunday's game."

    The arrival of Ranieri in place of Ivan Juric brings with it not just the danger of the 'new manager bounce' but also upsets Conte's plans for the game.

    "When a team changes coach there is an important input on a nervous level," Conte said.

    "They are at the third change on the bench. It's inevitable that, if Juric had remained, we knew what kind of team we were going to face.

    "Now it's an enigma, we don't have much information nor do we know how they will deal with us. So let's think about ourselves, there is a desire and enthusiasm to continue this path."

    After a streak of 21 consecutive home wins in Serie A, Conte lost his last home league match (0-3 against Atalanta). Only once in his career has he recorded two consecutive home defeats in the competition: in November 2009, when he was in charge of Atalanta (against Juventus and Roma).

    Napoli are top of the table, but Conte knows it is still early, and with just two points separating the top six clubs, which includes the likes of Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, for now, it is a different title race than usual.

    "Only 12 games have passed and there are many teams within very few points," he said.

    "We are doing well, but so are the others. There isn't one team which has distanced the others. Perhaps there is a little amazement in seeing some teams in those positions in the standings."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.