Guardiola Must Consider Dropping Underperforming Haaland After Villa Loss

Manchester City suffered another Premier League defeat on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa at Villa Park. This marks Pep Guardiola’s worst run of form since taking over at the Etihad in 2016, with 9 losses in his last 12 matches.

City are clearly missing Rodri’s presence in midfield, but their struggles extend beyond that. Against Villa, they managed 12 total shots but scored just once in the dying minutes. The attack is lacking sharpness, with Erling Haaland looking particularly off form recently.

Haaland’s Disappointing Performance vs Villa

The Norwegian striker had another dismal display, completing just 8 of 12 passes and taking only 18 touches – 19 fewer than goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Haaland registered just one off-target shot, failed in his only dribble attempt, and lost possession 6 times.

With just 3 Premier League goals since September, Haaland is struggling to make an impact. The Daily Express gave him a 4/10 rating, noting his poor hold-up play and lack of contribution.

Should Guardiola Drop Haaland?

Benching Haaland seems an obvious solution, but City lack a like-for-like replacement after selling Julian Alvarez. Guardiola could experiment with a false nine, perhaps using Phil Foden in that role.

While risky, a change is needed. City’s current form puts even their Champions League qualification at risk. The manager must find a way to revitalize the attack, whether by adjusting tactics or dipping into the transfer market for reinforcements.

Guardiola faces some difficult decisions as he looks to turn City’s season around and get his star striker firing again.