Haaland reports ready for the Liverpool game
It came out at a press meeting with City manager Pep Guardiola.
– He feels good and ready to play on Sunday, said the Spaniard.
He rested Haaland in Tuesday’s 0-0 match away to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. Jærbuen sat on the bench as an unused reserve.
– He is so tired. He has some muscle problems and we didn’t want any chances, Guardiola explained to TV 2 afterwards.
Haaland is the clear top scorer in the Premier League with 15 goals in a match. That’s seven more than the next man on the list (Harry Kane on eight goals). In total, City’s Norwegian super striker has scored 20 goals in 13 matches.
Last weekend, Haaland set yet another milestone by scoring in his tenth club game in a row. It eclipsed Billy McAdams’ 1957 City record.
Get Fri
A hectic program awaits Haaland in the next few weeks, but unlike many of his teammates, he can go on holiday at the start of the World Cup period. City’s last game before the play-offs is November 12.
– I don’t know about the plan. He can be gone for ten days and be with the family. Then it will take weeks of training to get the rhythm back. I think he would have preferred to go to the World Cup with Norway, but it didn’t work out, Guardiola said on Friday.
Manchester City is the only team still unbeaten in the Premier League, but still a point behind table-topping Arsenal. On Sunday, the light blues will face a struggling rival. Liverpool is in 10th place with only ten points.
Guardiola believes it is always tough to face Liverpool. He doesn’t care about Liverpool’s weak league results.
– Tables do not play the games. They will be decided on the field.
Nightmare Arena
The City boss refuses to write off Jürgen Klopp’s team as his first title challenger in the Premier League. Liverpool are 14 points behind the top.
– I do that because of the quality they have. If it had been five games to go, I would have said Liverpool couldn’t catch Arsenal, but now anything can happen.
Anfield is a ground City has many bad memories of. Since 1981, the club has lost 19 out of 31 games and won only twice (last in February 2021).
(© NTB)