Erling Haaland will ‘shut your mouth’, Pep Guardiola tells critics
Pep Guardiola cautioned critics of Erling Haaland that the prolific Norwegian would silence them, following his performance that bolstered Manchester City’s aspirations for the Premier League title.
Haaland’s goal in the 71st minute against Brentford propelled City to second place in the table, with just one point behind leaders Liverpool. This strong performance served as a clear response to his previous missed opportunities in Saturday’s draw with Chelsea.
The setback against Chelsea occurred shortly after the passing of Haaland’s grandmother. Following the match, City manager Guardiola seized the opportunity to share his thoughts on recent criticisms, addressing both critics and journalists.
“With top scorers or strikers who score a lot of goals, don’t criticise because he will shut your mouth, that’s for sure,” said Guardiola. “Sooner or later, he is there.
“Definitely, if I have to choose one [player to be running through on goal], I choose this one.
“He was out with injury for two months and is not in his best shape and just had an incredibly tough week because he lost his grandmother. That is not easy for a human being.”
Guardiola, who said he never wanted to be a journalist, was asked what was wrong with being one and his response was immediate and cutting.
“I am a manager,” he said. “My life is better than yours.”
Guardiola also said Belgium playmaker Kevin de Bruyne has a hamstring issue, after already missing five months of the season.
“Today we could not use Kevin because he had niggles in his hamstring and I didn’t want to take risk,” he said.
“He’s OK. It’s just a precaution but he didn’t feel comfortable, and so after five months off we didn’t take any risk.”
More history for Haaland
Yet another milestone for Haaland unfolded as his pivotal goal against Brentford not only elevated Manchester City’s title aspirations but also marked his scoring against all 21 opponents he has encountered in the Premier League.
Previously, only Harry Kane achieved this feat, facing more than one team and scoring against each of them, accomplishing 32 out of 32. Haaland now shares this distinction with him.
Among players who have faced 20 or more teams, only two others—Thierry Henry (34 out of 35) and Sergio Aguero (32 out of 33)—have missed scoring against just one opponent, highlighting the remarkable achievements of Haaland and Kane.
However, Haaland’s focus remains on the pitch, with his timely 71st-minute goal alleviating mounting frustration at the Etihad Stadium. This victory came just as many home fans began to dread another disappointing outcome.
Following a challenging period, including a forgettable performance against Chelsea over the weekend and the loss of his grandmother, Haaland’s remarkable resilience was evident.
Against Chelsea, he missed nine goal attempts, the most in a single Premier League match without finding the net. This match also marked the sixth time in seven appearances where he failed to score, prompting premature speculation about his form.
Despite any perceived struggles, Haaland capitalized on Kristoffer Ajer’s slip, seizing the opportunity to receive a through ball and elegantly slot home the winning goal.
This goal propelled him two goals ahead in the race for the Golden Boot, bringing his tally to 17 for the season and marking an impressive total of 53 goals in just 55 Premier League appearances.
Quite a remarkable achievement for someone supposedly experiencing a dip in form.