Guardiola sympathises - but can he help Haaland out of rut?

Erling Haaland has scored 11 Premier League goals against West Ham but failed to strike on Saturday Erling Haaland's struggles in front of goal come from playing in "the most difficult position on the planet", says Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Haaland has twice won the Premier League Golden Boot and netted 19 times in the first 17 league matches of this campaign to put himself in prime position to achieve that for a third time. He still leads the way, but the Norway striker has lost form in the second half of the season, scoring only three times in 12 league games in 2026.

Another blank came in the 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday, a costly result in the context of the title race. Guardiola says Haaland scoring fewer goals comes from him being one of the most marked men in the division. "I didn't see fatigue in the last 20 minutes, it was an issue with tempo and rhythm," Guardiola said at London Stadium.

"Do you know how many central defenders were around him today? 200 million. Do you know how many holding midfielders?

It is the most difficult position on the planet. " Man City drop more points in title race as West Ham move out of relegation zone The result against West Ham puts City nine points behind leaders Arsenal with eight matches to play. Other theories attached to Haaland's drop-off have included City's change in system - they have played with two strikers in nine of the last 11 matches - as well as fatigue with Guardiola's team competing in four competitions.