Despite Erling Haaland’s latest heroics – a clinical double in Manchester City’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday – manager Pep Guardiola made it clear the Norwegian striker cannot carry the scoring burden alone.
Haaland, 25, is in red-hot scoring form, with 23 goals for club and country this season. But City’s supporting cast have struggled to find the net, with no other player scoring more than once in the competition.
“Disappointed (Haaland) didn’t score four or five,” Guardiola said after the win that took City provisionally top of the table.
«All jokes aside, very happy, but we can’t rely on him alone. We need other players. Wingers, attacking midfielders, they have to step up and score goals.»
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Guardiola pointed to missed chances from Savinho, Jeremy Doku and Tijjani Reijnders as examples of opportunities that need to be converted.
«The chances were clear and they have to score. At this level they have to demand themselves,» he said. “They have to do it, otherwise we can’t do what we want to do.”
Defender Ruben Dias echoed this sentiment, saying: “(Haaland is) a very important player for us, but we want everyone to be involved and everyone to score, not just Erling.”
Guardiola was pleased that his players were able to find Haaland “much, much more” in the second half.
“Of course the presence of Erling, his stature is huge, we know that, he moves very well,” said the City boss. “When we have this type of player, you have to use him, you have to put the ball near him. You have to put the ball as close to him as possible.”
Haaland leads the league with eleven goals in eight games. Only three times has a player scored more than 10 goals in the first eight games of a Premier League season, and they were all Haaland, in 2022/23, 2024/25 and this season.
“(Haaland) is always there for us at the right times,” said City midfielder Phil Foden. “That is the sign of a world-class striker.”
Published on October 19, 2025
