Erling Haaland struggled to make an impact in the recent game with Real, with his only scoring opportunity being a header that hit the bar. City’s star striker notably requested to be substituted before extra time, indicating his muted performance. Haaland’s recent goal tally has been below his usual standards, leading to some criticism.

Although his predatory scoring ability is unquestionable, opponents have been successfully nullifying his threat by defending deep and denying him space to run into. Despite this, Haaland remains one of the Premier League’s top goal scorers. City’s manager, Guardiola, has rarely left Haaland out of the starting line-up for tactical reasons, raising questions about the potential impact of introducing different personnel.

Meanwhile, former City striker Paul Dickov defended Haaland, suggesting that the criticism he has received is unjustified and attributing his difficulty to opponents’ improved understanding of how to neutralize his threat. The view is that Haaland still has a point to prove, regardless of his previous record-breaking achievements for City.