Fans have criticized Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland after he had a poor performance in their 4-0 Premier League defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. The two sides locked horns at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, November 23.
Spurs took the lead in the 13th minute after James Maddison emphatically converted Dejan Kulusevski's brilliant cross past Ederson. Maddison then completed his brace seven minutes later with a clever finish. Manchester City's woes continued in the second half after Pedro Porro (52') and Brennan Johnson (90+3') scored to hand Pep Guardiola his heaviest home defeat in City colors.
Erling Haaland struck the woodwork in the second half but failed to make an impact for his side. The 24-year-old completed just 10 passes from an attempted 12 in 90 minutes. He landed two shots from six attempts with an accuracy of 33 percent and missed two big chances.
Since Erling Haaland's infamous 'Stay humble, eh?' jab against Arsenal (September 22), he has only netted two league goals in seven games. One fan couldn't help posting:
"That Haaland 'stay humble eh?' quote aged like a fine wine"
Another fan tweeted:
"Haaland running circles in the box today like he was auditioning for a new track meet. Spurs: ‘Not on our watch.'"
Other fans reacted below:
"Haaland since telling Arteta to stay humble" one fan posted
"It’s not realistic for City to push a high press with Haaland. He’s got one short burst and then loses interest," another added
"I think Pep Guadiola (s) boy, Haaland has had enough humility now. Manchester City are feeling it," one fan chimed in
"Erling Haaland learning humility the very hard way. Lmao," another added
"Messi literally saved earth by winning ballon d'Or 2023," another insisted
Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on November 24 at 2 AM IST. They are subject to change as per the platform's prerogative.
"We've never lived this kind of situation" - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provides verdict after Erling Haaland and Co. suffer 4-0 Tottenham defeat
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted he has never faced a situation as dire as this during his eight years at the Etihad following their 4-0 loss to Tottenham. The Cityzens suffered their fifth defeat in a row across all competitions, for the first time in Guardiola's managerial career.
Following the game, Guardiola told BBC (via @FabrizioRomano):
“In eight years, we've never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it, and we have to break it winning the next games, and especially the next one… We will be back. We will do it."
Erling Haaland's Manchester City are in serious danger of falling behind in the Premier League title race. They are currently second in the table with 23 points from 12 games. However, they could be eight points behind leaders Liverpool if the latter defeat Southampton away this Sunday.
The Cityzens will be aiming to return to winning ways in their next clash against Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League (November 26).