Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has cautioned his players against relying only on star striker Erling Haaland for goals following the Norwegian’s impressive brace in their 2 0 victory over Everton on Saturday.
Despite Haaland’s prolific form this season scoring 23 goals for club and country, Guardiola stressed that the team’s success cannot hinge on one player. He noted that City’s other attackers need to improve their goal scoring output to maintain their dominance in the Premier League.
“All jokes aside, I’m really pleased with Erling, but we cannot rely on just him,” Guardiola said after the match. “We need other players, wingers, attacking midfielders, to make a step up and score goals. The chances were clear today, and they have to finish them. At this level, they must demand more from themselves.”
The City boss also pointed to missed opportunities from Savinho, Jerémy Doku, and Tijjani Reijnders, urging them to be more clinical in front of goal. “They have to do it; otherwise, we can’t achieve what we want to do this season,” he warned.
Defender Rúben Dias supported Guardiola’s stance, adding that while Haaland remains a crucial figure, the team must work collectively. “Erling is a very important player for us, but we want everyone to be involved and everyone to be scoring, not just him,” Dias said.
Guardiola, however, praised the team for finding Haaland more frequently in the second half, acknowledging the striker’s positioning and movement. “His presence is huge, he moves really well. When we have a player like him, we have to use him and get the ball near him as much as possible,” the manager added.
With 11 goals in his first eight Premier League games, Haaland continues to make history, becoming the only player to score double figures in the opening eight matches of three separate Premier League seasons.