Pep Guardiola Points to Manchester City Squad for Erling Haaland's Goal Slump
Pep Guardiola, Manchester Citys manager, urged his players to raise their game to support Erling Haaland in overcoming his recent lack of goals, speaking just before the sides key Champions League fixture versus Galatasaray.
The striker from Norway has not netted since a penalty against Brighton in the early part of January, and his open play goals stopped coming before the Christmas period.
Recently, Guardiola described his leading forward, who still leads the Premier League scoring list with 20 goals even during this tough run, as feeling worn out.
He chose not to start the 25 year old in Saturdays 2 0 victory over struggling Wolves at the bottom, citing the need to refresh his mental and physical state.
During Tuesdays pre match media session, Guardiola emphasised that the team must perform at a higher level to aid Haaland.
"Generate more opportunities, and he will find the target," he commented. "Do not undervalue forwards or those who score, as they invariably prove doubters wrong.
"We hope he keeps netting throughout his career, without question."
The 2023 Champions League winners face Wednesdays home encounter at the Etihad following their unexpected 3 1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt last week.
This result placed them in 11th spot during the leagues initial stage, tied with eight other sides on 13 points each.
Just the leading eight advance directly to the last 16, while teams from ninth to 24th will enter a two match knockout qualifier next month.
"I would rather accumulate additional points, yet this reflects our efforts," noted Guardiola, with his squad chasing success in four competitions. "We must concentrate and aim to secure victory here, then assess our final standing."
Rodri faces a ban for the midweek game due to his red card in the Norwegian outing.
Fresh arrivals Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo cannot feature in Champions League action until the knockout phase.
Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Savinho, and Oscar Bobb continue to recover from their respective injuries.