Is Erling Haaland Overworked in His Football Journey?

Erling Haaland, who began the season with an impressive performance, seems to be facing a downturn in his scoring abilities.

The Manchester City forward and Norwegian international has netted an astonishing 39 goals across 36 appearances for both club and country this season. However, he has recently struggled, managing just one goal in his last eight matches.

This decline in form has coincided with Manchester City’s struggle in the Premier League title race and an unexpected defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola has attributed the lack of vigor to last Saturday’s derby loss against Manchester United, raising the question: Has the 25-year-old played too many matches this season? Should his coach have considered resting him?

Haaland Acknowledges His Role in the Struggles

The striker’s recent difficulties were particularly evident during a challenging and cold trip to the Arctic Circle on Tuesday. After falling behind 2-0 unexpectedly, City sought a moment of brilliance to get back into the game.

Just before halftime, a prime opportunity arose for Haaland from eight yards out, but he sent his shot wide. Earlier in the season, that attempt would likely have found the net, but now he is experiencing his longest run without a goal from open play since joining Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, with only a single penalty converted during this stretch.

“I don’t have the answers,” a frustrated Haaland expressed to TNT Sports post-match. “I take full responsibility for not scoring the goals I should, and I apologize to every Manchester City supporter who traveled today.”

He further added, “I don’t want to dwell on my feelings; I give my all when I’m on the field. I play in a ridiculous number of games, and I strive to prepare for the next match.”

This season, Haaland has participated in 31 matches and logged 2,568 minutes across all competitions, ranking him 12th among Premier League players for time spent on the pitch. Among forwards from Europe’s elite leagues, he stands in second place, just behind Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has played two more games but only 52 additional minutes.

With 16 league fixtures remaining and potential appearances in the finals of the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League, alongside Norway’s two friendlies in March, there’s a possibility that Haaland could play up to 69 matches this season before the World Cup.

Looking Forward: Haaland’s Potential for Revival

Despite not finding the back of the net since scoring against West Ham over a month ago, there has also been a noticeable decline in various attacking statistics.

Since that match, his shots per 90 minutes have decreased, touches in the opponent’s box have dropped from 6.7 to 4.3, and his expected goals (xG) have fallen from 0.98 to 0.42. Additionally, the significant chances he has encountered have dwindled, from 1.94 per 90 minutes to just 0.81.

Injuries to key defenders like Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol may have hindered City’s capacity to transition the ball quickly, while Rodri is still searching for his form following a lengthy absence, and Phil Foden has not contributed any goals or assists since the match against West Ham.

While Haaland has taken the blame for his lack of goals, it is essential to consider Guardiola’s role in providing him with extensive playtime this season. For instance, fielding him for 45 minutes during a 10-1 FA Cup victory over League One’s Exeter City raised eyebrows, as it was a matchup City was unlikely to lose.

Guardiola, however, is still haunted by the shocking 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last November, where making ten changes to the starting lineup backfired dramatically.

With Omar Marmoush returning from the Africa Cup of Nations and January acquisition Antoine Semenyo capable of playing various attacking roles, the pressure on Haaland to score could ease.

Expert Opinions on Haaland’s Form

Despite another difficult outing for Haaland on Tuesday, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton shared on BBC Radio 5 Live that he believes there is no need for alarm regarding the City star’s current performance.

“He is a striker who consistently scores goals,” Sutton stated. “He will find his form again. Anyone who wants to dismiss him does so at their own risk.”

Assessing Manchester City’s Tactics for Haaland

This inquiry may seem strange considering Haaland is the Premier League’s leading scorer with 20 goals in 22 games. However, during City’s last eight games across all competitions, he has yet to score from open play.

Guardiola has mentioned the congested schedule, but are there additional factors on the field that could account for his concerning slump?

Historically, the Norwegian striker has excelled with runs behind defenders, favoring vertical play. The optimal scoring opportunity for Haaland typically involves a through ball that allows him to sprint onto it and shoot from the left half-space.

At the season’s outset, City embraced a more transitional and direct style, utilizing the speed of players like Jeremy Doku and Tijjani Reijnders, alongside Haaland, leading to more fast breaks than in the entire 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons combined.

This approach greatly benefited Haaland; however, it also altered the team’s defensive dynamics. Quick attacks often resulted in losing possession and leaving fewer defenders behind, making them susceptible to counter-attacks.

After their 3-0 win over West Ham in December, Guardiola hinted at a desire to restore a more balanced approach akin to his successful past teams, stating, “I appreciate our intensity; last season we lacked that. Yet, we need to perform better to reduce our running time.”

As the season has unfolded, this shift in strategy seems to have taken place. Adopting a more controlled style should, in theory, reduce counter-attacks while facing more low-block defenses.

However, recent injuries among several City players have affected their ability to execute these tactics effectively.

The Impact of Injuries on Haaland’s Performance

The absence of ball-playing defenders limits City’s ability to transition into dangerous areas swiftly. Consequently, there are fewer deep passes for Haaland to chase, and the team’s capacity to pin opponents back has diminished.

Gvardiol ranks second in the Premier League this season for both line-breaking passes (11.9) and progressive carries (11.7) per 90 minutes. Without him, City finds itself caught between two scenarios where Haaland excels.

When City can apply pressure, Haaland has two primary strategies. First, he may make a sharp run into the box before halting or slowing down, causing defenders to shift towards their goal, often in reaction to a winger’s movement. This opens up space for a cut-back pass, allowing him to score.

Doku’s knack for pushing defenses back before delivering the ball into open spaces is an opportunity Haaland has missed, as the Belgian has yet to recapture his early-season form. Foden and Nico O’Reilly, as natural left-footers, have occasionally demonstrated this ability as well.

Haaland frequently opts for a back-post position to receive crosses when facing low blocks, a tactic he employs more than attacking the near post, which is typically left open for a teammate to strike, such as Ilkay Gundogan in the past or currently Phil Foden and Reijnders.

Reijnders has taken on some of the goal-scoring duties by exploiting these spaces, while teams have increasingly applied significant pressure on City’s number nine, often with multiple defenders marking him.

Matheus Nunes’ recent absence has also been detrimental to Haaland’s scoring opportunities. His crossing ability is an underrated aspect of his skill set; only Kevin De Bruyne has provided more assists to Haaland at City, with ten assists to De Bruyne’s 22.

Week after week, opposing teams tend to position themselves to limit Haaland’s space, with the exception of the high-pressing Bournemouth, against whom Haaland scored twice earlier this season.

Consequently, City must create openings for him, whether through direct dribbling or off-ball runs that push defenders back, or by adopting a faster pace in their attacks.

Otherwise, Haaland will rely on the width of his teammates to locate him at the back post more frequently than they have done recently.