The Haaland curse

There’s no doubt, 25 goals, 3 assists in 19 appearances in the premier league for Manchester City is an amazing statistic to have for a 21 year old. In as much as this is an incredible feat, Haaland’s individual brilliance has come at a cost for the blue side of Manchester.

Since the arrival of the Norwegian Viking, Manchester City’s attack has been predictable with the giants dropping points against some of the premier league's worst teams in the season so far in Southampton and Everton.

Predictability in the game of football is a recipe for disaster because it is easier to monitor your next move and defend against you. City and Pep since the arrival of Erling Haaland changed their system a bit to accommodate the Norwegian.

Previous Season

The previous season, City won the premier league without a known number 9. It was often difficult to curtail them going forward. However, this has changed with the arrival of Haaland. Going forward, City looks for their man. In a situation where he is properly marked, the attack is often futile.

Moving on, it’s safe to say that aside from Haaland's goal poaching abilities, he brings nothing to the game. His first 10 games were quite productive as the synergy between him and Kevin De Bruyne paid off.

Since the world cup ended, there has been a reduction in his goal turn-ins because teams have managed to cut off his supplies. Erik Ten Hag deployed this tactic of cutting off supplies to Haaland during the Manchester derby by man marking Kevin De Bruyne which also paid off.

Manchester City currently sit second on the premier league table 8 points behind table toppers Arsenal. We can conclude this way; City in an attempt to solve the goal drought that cost them the champions league last season, has compounded their woes by getting a point man to finish their chances but in turn, created a problem for themselves which makes it easier for teams to defend against them in recent games.