In Haaland’s absence Manchester City need to find goals in a squad that lacks clear goalscoring options | OneFootball

Manchester City will have to enter the final stages of this season without Erling Haaland. Haaland suffered an ankle injury during Manchester City’s 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth. He is facing anywhere from between 5-7 weeks on the sidelines as per Pep Guardiola’s update on his condition. Haaland’s absence does provide an opportunity for his teammates to step up. But it also poses a problem for Pep Guardiola and his team. They lack a consistent goal threat outside of Haaland and it’s an issue that must be solved if City are to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Erling Haaland is Manchester City’s top scorer this season with 30 goals in all competitions. Alongside his goals, Haaland’s sheer presence creates space and opportunities for his teammates to prosper. With Haaland out injured, there is a hole in the Manchester City squad. How that hole is filled could be key to City’s Champions League chase and FA Cup campaign.

Omar Marmoush is the next-best goal scorer in Manchester City’s squad outside of Erling Haaland. He’s scored 6 goals this season since arriving at the Etihad in January. With his creativity, movement and finishing ability he is the player who can step up in Haaland’s absence. But outside of Marmoush, where the goal threat and creativity comes from, is the issue for Pep Guardiola to solve.

Manchester City need players to lift to provide the goals and creativity in Haaland’s absence.

We saw Pep Guardiola start with Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Ilkay Gundogan at Old Trafford in Manchester City’s nil-all draw with Manchester United. On paper at least, that quartet of players should provide a consistent goal threat. You can add Bernardo Silva to that mix who also started at Old Trafford. There are several issues with that selection and those players currently. Phil Foden is woefully out of form and low on confidence. In all honesty, he looks as though he would be best served by having a break from the game. Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne aren’t the players that they once were. Omar Marmoush needs service to thrive. As we saw in Sunday’s derby he was starved of that at Old Trafford. Bernardo Silva now does the grunt work to help City maintain control of games. He isn’t the creative player he once was.

But where Pep Guardiola can get the creativity his team needs in Haaland’s absence is the million-dollar question, so to speak. Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Savinho all started on the bench on Sunday. Doku and Savinho have the pace and trickery to open up City’s opponents. But they aren’t consistent with their output just yet. Jack Grealish is more of a player who knits everything together for Manchester City rather than a creator and consistent scorer of goals. Oscar Bobb could do a job for Guardiola but he is coming back from a serious injury. We may not see the best of him until next season.

Summary.

Erling Haaland’s absence has created a problem for Pep Guardiola. Manchester City are without their biggest goal threat at a pivotal time of the season. To solve that issue Guardiola may have to get creative and hope that his players can either lift or show signs of what they once were. City’s goal threat is inconsistent at best without Erling Haaland. But they need to find one if they are to secure Champions League football for next season. It’s as simple as that but it isn’t a simple equation to solve for Pep Guardiola.