Guardiola's changes will cost Haaland dearly?

Haaland's declining form is exposing systemic problems in Manchester City's attack.

Erling Haaland is no longer the goal-scoring machine he once was. Recent statistics show a clear decline in the Norwegian striker's form, at a time when Manchester City's attack is also beginning to show cracks.

Haaland is stagnating.

In the English League Cup final, Man City beat Arsenal 2-0 thanks to a brace from Nico O'Reilly. But Haaland remained silent. This was his ninth consecutive final without scoring since joining the club in 2022. At Wembley, the striker has also yet to score in seven appearances.

In the Premier League, Haaland still leads the scoring charts with 22 goals. However, the gap is narrowing. Igor Thiago of Brentford has 19 goals and is close behind. More worryingly, Haaland has only scored 3 goals in his last 12 league matches.

Before Christmas, things were very different. Haaland had scored 38 goals in 28 games for both club and national team. But since the beginning of the year, he has only scored 5 goals in 20 appearances for Man City. This slump is no longer a temporary phenomenon.

"We are not yet a complete team," admitted manager Pep Guardiola after the draw against West Ham. Man City are currently nine points behind Arsenal, despite having a game in hand. The Spanish coach is still struggling to find the right way to operate.

Semenyo's arrival has changed Haaland's position.

One of the turning points came during the winter transfer window, when Man City signed Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. The Ghanaian striker quickly made his mark with 5 goals and 1 assist in 9 Premier League games.

Semenyo's arrival gives Man City more attacking options, but it also changes the team's structure. Nico O'Reilly has to drop back to midfield to support the defense, easing the burden on Rodri. This leads to disruption in the attacking line.

With a 4-1-3-2 formation, Guardiola has too many options in attack. Haaland, Semenyo, Doku, Marmoush, Cherki, Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Savinho are all competing for a few positions. Some players, including Foden and new signing Tijjani Reijnders, are starting to run out of playing time.

Pep is the reason Haaland is failing to score.

In the new system, Haaland is no longer the sole center forward. He has to share space and roles with his teammates. Many situations that previously belonged to Haaland are now handled by Semenyo. The Norwegian striker is forced to move more widely to participate in the team's play.

As a result, Haaland's number of touches in the penalty area has decreased significantly. From 7.01 touches per 90 minutes before Christmas, that number has now dropped to just 5.29. This explains why his goal-scoring performance has declined.

Guardiola still has faith. "He will come back," he said. But faith alone is not enough. Man City's challenge now lies in balancing the squad.

Could Haaland return soon?

After being eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid, Man City's only major objective remains the Premier League. However, the gap with Arsenal is significant. The upcoming direct clash between the two teams could decide the title race.

Guardiola faces two options. One is to continue using the current system and force Haaland to adapt. The other is to revert to a formation with only one striker to optimize his abilities.

Whichever option is chosen, it will not be an easy decision. Man City already has too many attacking stars, but that very fact creates overlap.

Winning the League Cup temporarily relieved the pressure on Man City. Haaland also got some extra rest before the international break. But in the long term, Guardiola needs to find a solution soon.

Otherwise, Haaland's decline could jeopardize Man City's ambitions for the season.

Source: https://znews.vn/guardiola-thay-doi-haaland-tra-gia-post1637604.html