KEY POINTS

  • Man Utd defeated City 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday
  • Man Utd are now just a point behind City in the league table
  • Haaland has not scored in 3 straight games now

Pep Guardiola has explained why Erling Haaland flopped for Manchester City in their 2-1 loss to Manchester United.

Haaland failed to score or provide an assist in City's defeat in the Manchester derby in the Premier League on Saturday.

Jack Grealish put Guardiola's City 1-0 up with his 60th-minute strike before Bruno Fernandes equalized for the Red Devils. Marcus Rashford scored the winner for Manchester United and left Old Trafford erupting in celebrations.

Haaland now has gone three matches across competitions without scoring or assisting for Manchester City. This is from a player who scored 27 times in his first 21 appearances for the Etihad side since his summer arrival from Dortmund in the summer.

While Haaland is certainly not in a worrying fall just yet, Guardiola admitted that his side will have to find a new way of getting their Norwegian striker involved in their upcoming matches.

"At the moment we have that process because when teams are sat in their 18-yard box, it is more difficult but we have to find him a little bit more, yes. (Against United) he had enough touches but it's true that when you are looking at areas and you have to look at him. But we will do it," Guardiola said in an interview.

Haaland scored a hat-trick in his first-ever Manchester derby in October 2022. Overall, the former Dortmund striker has registered three hat-tricks for City this season, all have come in the Premier League.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland (L) celebrates with Jack Grealish
AFP

With their latest victory, Manchester United are now just a point behind second-placed City in the 2022-23 Premier League table. The Red Devils are unbeaten in as many as nine matches in a row in all competitions, a streak that last happened with them back in January 2017 under boss Jose Mourinho.

"We behave good, we behave like the six years we had together. We monopolize the ball, and they defend and wait for the actions, they did at the right moment. It's not easy to defend 30 or 40 meters in front with their two guys," added Guardiola.

Manchester City have two league games scheduled to take place this week, starting with their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday before taking on Wolves on Sunday.

Soccer