Haaland is in a gray state, having scored only one goal in Manchester City's last five matches. Worse than that! He squanders glaring opportunities and insists on outdoing himself in big matches, a case in point being the recent clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Pep Guardiola reiterated his confidence in the 23-year-old Norwegian striker, who is a key asset in today's match against Luton, and who, in the event of a win, will temporarily push Manchester City to the top of the English Premier League. “He's young, there are areas he needs to improve. I think it's a collective issue. We mustn't forget that he plays in the most difficult position of all. Real Madrid marked him tightly, and he always had two central players.” Defenders in every close. How can he reach the level that allows him to win the Ballon d'Or? By playing more minutes and learning what he has to do. However, the goal is not to win the Ballon d'Or. Rather, the 53-year-old Spanish coach said: “He won the Premier League title, the Championship and the FA Cup. Well, he actually did that! Without him it wouldn't have been possible.” Rodri said he needs to rest and Pep Guardiola is open to giving him a break for today's match on Matchday 33. “If you need to rest… you will rest! It's a matter of mental energy. If a player doesn't need to rest he doesn't want to play, so he doesn't play.” If he feels tired… he plays another game! We'll decide tomorrow [hoje]“, confirmed the Citizen coach, adding that Ederson is already 100% fit and can return to goal today.
Written by Nuno Pombo
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