Today vs Tottenham, Erling Haaland failed to register a single shot for the first time since joining Manchester City, prompting Jamie Carragher to comment, “He may have actually picked the wrong club.” Taken out of context, this statement admittedly sounds pretty foolish, as the Norwegian’s record of 31 goals and 3 assists in 27 matches – including 25 strikes in the Premier League alone – is nothing short of ridiculous. Normally I tend to disagree with, well, almost everything Carragher says, however, I’d like to look into this one a little further… Before that though, I’d like to ask; What do you think Carragher’s implying here, and – depending on what your conclusion is – do you agree with him? ????????????

Looking at Man City’s overall goals scored this season compared to 21/22, you may be surprised to learn that – despite Haaland’s incredible individual record – the figures are nearly identical. One could even argue they’re in a worse position this season, as last year, the goals came from all positions.

It sort of reminds the Cristiano Ronaldo situation last season – though much less dire of course – with one main offensive focal point that, if dealt with correctly, makes the respective side all too predictable. This is, at least in part, why I’d give Casemiro the slight edge for ‘signing of the season’, as, technically speaking, the 22-year-old’s arrival hasn’t completely transformed the team. Could they have already been at a ‘ceiling’ of sorts? Yes – 100%. But still, watching Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, etc, continuously failing to spot Haaland’s runs is frustrating, especially on a day like today, where the forward failed to have a single touch inside Spurs’ box… In fact, the only player on City who’s regularly finding Haaland is, as you’d likely guess, Kevin de Bruyne. What I think Carragher’s implying here is that Haaland’s output is actually being stifled under Guardiola’s current system, something we’ve seen with Zlatan during his time with Barcelona. What do you guys think? ????

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