Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has eased fears over Erling Haaland’s fitness following a heavy collision with the post during their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The Norwegian striker left fans concerned after clattering into the woodwork late in the game, but Guardiola remains hopeful the injury will not sideline his star forward.
As City chased a late equaliser, Haaland lunged towards a low cross from Omar Marmoush, managing to steer the ball into the net.
However, the effort was swiftly ruled out as Marmoush had strayed offside, and Haaland paid a painful price for his determination.
The 24-year-old striker slammed hard into the post, leaving him visibly shaken as he clutched his side before slowly getting to his feet. Despite the heavy impact, he managed to complete the match.
Speaking after the final whistle as reported by Manchester Evening News, Guardiola tried to play down any long-term concerns about his talisman’s condition.
The Catalan coach hinted that Haaland may have been rested for City’s upcoming League Cup clash against Swansea regardless of the knock, with the Premier League trip to Bournemouth next weekend taking priority.
Haaland’s streak ends as City’s scoring concerns grow
The Villa defeat marked a rare dry spell for Haaland, who failed to score for both club and country for the first time in 12 matches.
The prolific forward’s incredible run of form has been central to City’s success this season, but his off night exposed a growing concern — the lack of consistent goal contributions from other areas of the team.
In Haaland’s absence on the scoresheet, no other City player managed to step up, leaving the unusual statistic that a Burnley centre-back remains their second-highest scorer this season.
Guardiola has previously urged his players to share more of the attacking responsibility, and he reiterated that point again after the match, though he was not overly critical of their overall display.
“We haven’t scored a lot of goals this season and we have to make a step up,” Guardiola admitted.
“Today it is difficult because they defended really well, went to a back five or back six and we had to bring the ball outside with Savinho and then Jeremy [Doku].”
City carved out several opportunities but lacked the finishing edge that has often defined their performances in recent years.
“We made the crosses, how many times Phil attacked or Tijjani. We were there, we were close. I had the feeling other games we won we were not so productive,” Guardiola reflected.
The Spaniard, however, praised his side’s persistence and commitment against a resolute Villa defence.
“It’s just in our high pressing when they got behind us we were not good enough to regain the ball and then you have to defend deep. With the pace of [Morgan] Rogers and [Ollie] Watkins and the physicality of [Amadou] Onana and [Boubacar] Kamara, we know it,” he explained.
Guardiola was also full of respect for Unai Emery’s Villa, describing them as one of the most complete sides in the league despite their absence from Europe’s elite competition this season.
“It’s a Champions League team – unfortunately for them they are not there – but it’s a top team for many years and we competed really well. We are in a good way,” he added.
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For City, the result was a setback in their bid to maintain pressure at the top of the Premier League table, but Guardiola’s calm response reflected his belief that his team is still performing at a high level.
The Sky Blues have experienced some inconsistency this campaign, particularly in attack, where injuries and tactical adjustments have occasionally disrupted their rhythm.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland’s fitness remains a key storyline, as the Norwegian’s availability could significantly influence City’s form in the coming weeks.
Having already been instrumental in numerous victories this season, his presence and fitness are crucial as the fixtures pile up across domestic and European competitions.
