Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
For Manchester CityThe second-highest scorer of the season enjoyed a 2-0 victory on Saturday. It is believed that this is not a victory for the city, because it can hardly taste such a situation erling hollandNearest rival. But, over two months of the campaign, only the Norwegian has scored more goals for City than Maxim Esteve. Who, instead of attending City’s defeat to EvertonHelped Burnley keep a clean sheet by beating Leeds.
In all competitions, Phil Foden Has also struck twice for City. In Premier LeagueThere is none. Esteve scored two own goals Burnley lose 5-1 at the Etihad StadiumSince the French defender’s inadvertent second, City have found the net seven times. scorer? Holland, Holland, Holland, Holland, Holland, Holland and Holland.
so no surprise pep guardiola A severe case of Holland-dependency was diagnosed. “As a team, we have to understand that we can’t rely on them completely,” he said. “He’s always there, but we need other guys, wingers and attacking midfielders. They need to score goals, otherwise we won’t be able to achieve what we’re trying to do.”
If, before the arrival of Holland, Guardiola’s city seemed perfect for this model By sharing goals around a team, the danger is that they now become a lone scorer and go too far in the other direction. Haaland has scored 65 percent of its league goals, with 73 percent of them actually scored by City players.
Last season, he scored more than three times as many league goals for them as anyone else, 22 compared to seven. In all competitions, it was notable that only Phil Foden joined them in double figures. In 2023–24, when Foden got a career-best 27, there was a group of four. In City’s 2022-23 treble season, Haaland headlined with 52, but there was a six-strong group with at least 10. And in 2021–22, in the interval between Sergio Aguero and Haaland, and in 2020–21, Argentina’s final campaign, there were seven.
Yet now, apart from Holland, Foden and Bernardo SilvaEveryone else who got at least 10 in a campaign for City in the 2020s is now gone: Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Julian Alvarez, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Ferran Torres.
Guardiola has reorganized his tactics around a huge, prolific centre-forward, but has also rebuilt his squad, with a different cadre of attacking midfielders and wingers. His responsibilities include not only feeding Haaland but also scoring.
“We talked about it for a long time,” he said. “They are good. I saw in training they are good at finishing, so they have to do that. And I have no doubt, when they unlock, those players will score. Omar [Marmoush] There is a top scorer, Savio [Savinho]It’ll happen in a moment, Oscar [Bobb] Also, Tijji [Tijjani Reijnders] And Phil, he’s really good at scoring goals. We can’t deny how good Phil is in those positions, even Tijani.
The five players named by Guardiola have had 39 shots on goal in the Premier League this season and two goals between them. That’s an inadequate return, but within that quintile, plus jeremy doku, Ryan Cherky And Silva, different stories, but likely more goals.
Foden’s form has been encouragingAnd at times excellent. He is not happy with his goal returns but provided decisive passes in the build-up to each of Haaland’s brace on Saturday. Captain Silva was never efficient and, with his running power less formidable than before, this has been his only shot at the top flight this season; It’s hard to imagine him in double digits.
Doku has been superb and has added more productivity and better decision-making, although for now this is reflected more in assists than goals, and he missed a good chance with a spectacular shot against Everton. Bob and Savinho lack the goalscoring ability for City. The Norwegian has scored three goals in 41 games for the club, even though only 13 of them were starts. The Brazilian has four in 56 games; The comparisons with Mahrez are most misplaced when it comes to their respective goalscoring returns.
But Rijnders is happy with shots, he has the drive and stamina to get into the box and he scored 15 goals for AC Milan last season. Cherky and Marmoush have been limited to 71 and 150 Premier League minutes respectively due to injury, but the Frenchman got a goal at Wolves and seven minutes for the Egyptian in the second half of last season.
Cherky got 12 goals in his last campaign at Lyon, Marmoush got 20 goals in his last few months with Eintracht Frankfurt. With the improvement of Foden Rennes and Doku, it is a moot point if any of them are in the strongest side, but the three 2025 purchases – including Reijnders – indicate Guardiola is looking for more goals from players beyond Haaland. This is an oversimplification, but he probably wants Rejenders to replicate Gundogan’s goalscoring returns, provide at least part of Cherky De Bruyne’s contribution and Marmouche to provide some contribution from Sterling.
He may also think that another midfielder could reduce reliance on a powerful striker; If only Rodri was fit enough to play more often. However, even without him, City would appear to be equipped with a number of potential scorers. However, they only have one real scorer right now. And Guardiola knows this has to change.