Pep Guardiola: Man City cannot keep relying on prolific Erling Haaland – UK Times

Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland once again but admitted Manchester City cannot keep relying on the prolific Norwegian to win them games.

Haaland continued his blistering start to the season with a quickfire second-half double to sink Everton 2-0 in a tight Premier League contest at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland’s brace took his tally for the season to a remarkable 23 in 13 appearances for club and country.

He has failed to find the net in only one of those games and he has now scored in 11 matches in succession.

City manager Guardiola said: “He could have scored four or five at the end. He’s our key man, what can I say?

“But at the same time, we cannot rely and do good things just with Erling.

“So our wingers, attacking midfielders and our other players have to make a step up. When the chances we create are so clear, you have to score goals. They have to score at that level.”

While Haaland has now scored nine times in the Premier League this term, only four other City players have struck – and they have each only done so once.

Guardiola said: “They have to score. If we don’t create it’s fine, but if we create they have to score.

“But they know it. We have talked about it for a long time.

“They are good. I saw in the training sessions the finishing is good, and I don’t have any doubts. With luck, they will score.”

City were made to work hard by a resolute Everton before Haaland broke the deadlock in the 58th minute and then effectively ended the contest with his second five minutes later.

Guardiola said: “We had another victory and it’s good to restart after 10 days.

“The first 15-20 minutes, it always happens after the international break, you are not completely in the dynamic. All the teams struggle to come back.

“But, in general, it was a good game.”

Everton manager David Moyes felt his side gave a good account of themselves but admitted Haaland made the difference.

The Scot spoke to the City forward as he left the field.

Asked what he had said, Moyes said: “I wish he was somewhere else! Most managers think the same don’t they?

“In the main I thought we did a really good job on him but then he can do nothing for 60 minutes and you’re going to talk about the two or three minutes when he does.

“I think his ability to score, he’s got something which others haven’t.

“Manchester City played well and created opportunities for him but we did a good job for best part of an hour.

“The first goal was disappointing, the second goal more disappointing because it made it really difficult to get back in it.

“But we’ve done a lot of good things and there’s no disappointment for me regarding the play.”