Erling Haaland has stated that the Manchester City squad still believe in manager Pep Guardiola after they lost 2-1 at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, Afrosport reports.
Strikes in either half from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers was enough to give Villa control of the match while Phil Foden scored City’s consolation goal in added time.
The result was the Citizens’s ninth defeat in their last 12 competitive games and their sixth defeat in their last eight league games.
It has seen the reigning Premier League champions drop to sixth on the table with questions being raised on Guardiola’s ability to weather the storm having never been in such a position.
Haaland however believes that the Catalan’s track record of success will enable them get through this dark patch.
“It’s the small details, I don’t remember right now [what Pep said]. I’m thinking we just lost a game, another one. I don’t remember but it was probably some small instructions to do things better,” the Norwegian told the club website.
“He won the Premier League six times in seven years, so we will never forget that.
“He will find the solutions. He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now.”
9 – Manchester City have lost 9 of their last 12 games in all competitions (W1 D2). The last time other selected clubs had a run of 9 defeats in 12 games:
Chelsea – 25/05/2023
Tottenham – 26/12/1997
Arsenal – 23/03/1977
Man Utd – 16/12/1961
Liverpool – 23/01/1954Unprecedented. pic.twitter.com/6Ls5Zw6poF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 21, 2024
Haaland took some blame on himself for City’s bad form but wants the club to stay positive.
“First I’m looking at myself, I haven’t been doing things good enough, I haven’t been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven’t been good enough,” he added.
“Of course, our confidence is not the best. We know how important confidence is and you can see that it affects every human being. That is how it is, we have to continue and stay positive even though it is difficult.”
Guardiola however disagreed with Haaland, asserting the former Borussia Dortmund man has no fault.
“I do not agree with him,” he said. “Without him we would be even worse but I like it when the players feel that way. That’s the only chance we have to get even better.
“He needs to be delivered the ball in the right positions. We move forward and fight for the next one.”
Man City will wrap up the year against Everton and Leicester City before opening 2025 at home to West Ham United.
