Haaland Key To Manchester City's Trophy Challenge, Guardiola States

Erling Haaland’s late winner at Anfield keeps Manchester City firmly in contention across competitions, with Pep Guardiola stressing that City’s current challenge on multiple fronts depends heavily on the striker’s output. The manager highlighted that, despite recent criticism, Haaland’s goals remain central to City’s Premier League title defence and Champions League campaign during the 2025-26 season.

Haaland converted a 93rd-minute penalty in the 2-1 victory over Liverpool, sealing a dramatic result that moved Manchester City within six points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. It was the first goal Haaland scored at Anfield, arriving at the fourth attempt, and it completed a comeback that keeps pressure on Arsenal in the title race.

The spot-kick

against Liverpool was timed at 92:42 and is recorded as the latest winning goal by an away team at Anfield in the Premier League era since 2006-07. That strike also confirmed Manchester City’s league double over Liverpool this season, their first in the competition since the 1936-37 campaign and only the sixth such achievement against the Reds.

Across all tournaments this season, Haaland now has 28 goals. Among players in Europe’s top five leagues, only Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, with 38 each, have scored more. Guardiola pointed out that some have questioned Haaland’s recent scoring run, yet the overall numbers show a sustained contribution in front of goal.

Guardiola underlined how much responsibility Haaland carries as City’s main striker and how expectations have grown since the first season in Manchester. "The problem with Erling is he has to deal with his own numbers and expectations," Guardiola added. "It's not easy to do that for many, many years. This is the challenge for him.When your expectation is five goals per season, you can improve, improve. We won the treble because he arrived. He scored,I don't know how many goals in that first season and the expectations are there. When he doesn't score for four or five games, it's what happened, what happened, what happened. "

Guardiola then stressed Haaland’s wider value beyond short spells without goals. "We cannot forget that in the last games he maybe doesn't have the numbers he wants, but we are in the position we are thanks to him. For three quarters of the season, if he didn't score Erling, I don't know who will score. We are in a position in the Champions League and especially the Premier League, without Erling it would not be possible. "

Erling Haaland and Manchester City mentality focus

The manager also focused on Haaland’s mentality under pressure. "I know it's not easy," Guardiola said of Haaland's temperament before taking his spot-kick against Liverpool. "Anfield in the 91, 92 minutes, in the situation we have, taking it there, having this composure and his body language with his eyes with fire in that, it's not easy. That defines good players. He takes a lot of responsibility for himself, he wants to help all the time. The way he celebrated the goal, you know he desperately wants to help the team and the club. "

Guardiola described the advice given to Haaland before and after such moments, urging the striker to trust natural instincts. "But as I said to himdon't put too much pressure on. Go there and rely on your instinct, rely on your movements, anticipate the actions as your instinct has better than anyone in the world. Strikers always make the turn around and come back. " With Fulham visiting on Wednesday, Guardiola indicated Haaland’s goals and mindset remain central to Manchester City’s ambitions this season.