Erling Haaland injured: Will Man City superstar miss crunch Arsenal Premier League fixture?
Manchester City responded to a difficult period on and off the pitch by taking a 3-0 half-time lead against Aston Villa in Sunday’s Premier League game.
Pep Guardiola’s side slipped again in their title defense when they suffered a lackluster 1-0 defeat at Tottenham last weekend.
On Monday, the Premier League charged the eight-time English champions with 115 breaches of its competition rules, with most of the allegations relating to misbilling allegations that formed the basis of UEFA’s 2018 case against City.
Guardiola was in a defiant mood as he faced the media at his pre-match press conference, with the City players let their manager and a noisy Etihad Stadium steer them.
Rodri headed them into the lead early before Ilkay Gündogan – the final day of play in that game last season – doubled the lead and Riyad Mahrez made it 3-0 from the spot after Jack Grealish won a penalty against his former club.
Those exploits came at a price, however, as star striker Erling Haaland was forced to leave action at half-time.
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What injury does Erling Haaland have?
Haaland was replaced by Argentinian world champion Julian Alvarez at half-time due to a suspected hamstring injury.
In a tackle with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, he suffered a blow to the left thigh when Gundogan shot the ball into the net.
The goal was disallowed and Haaland was penalized for a foul on Matinez, although it now looks like he came out of the collision worse.
The 22-year-old was able to continue playing and even provided an excellent assist to Gündogan’s goal.
“We know Erling has scored a lot of goals so far, but today in the first half he made the runs we need, he went into the areas where he can create space for the other players coming from behind” , Gündogan told Sky Sport.
“He played well. Hopefully he’s not too injured because of course we need him.”
Eyebrows were raised when Mahrez stepped forward in front of Haaland to hide City’s penalty in first-half injury time, but it soon became clear his injury could have been a factor.
After the game, however, Rodri revealed to Sky Sports that Guardiola had named Mahrez as his chosen taker, despite Haaland scoring four of four from 12 yards for City.
“It was clear, the captain [Gundogan] decided and I have to accept the decision,” said the Spanish midfielder, who also asked Gundogan if he could take the penalty. “Riyad is the normal shooter but I asked because I was confident at that moment.
“I understand that what we talked about before the game has to be. It depends on the coach who decides before the game. It was Riyadh. We have good shooters, although we haven’t been that lucky with penalties in recent seasons.”
Which Man City games will Erling Haaland miss?
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said the initial forecast for Haaland was unclear.
“I don’t know. He has a strong knock,” he said. “He felt unwell. We didn’t want to take any chances at 3-0. We’ll evaluate in the next few days.”
The fact that it appeared to be an impact injury and not a muscle strain means a speedy return is certainly possible.
However, any absence would be greatly felt as City travel to Arsenal for a thrilling showdown in the Premier League title race on Wednesday.
“If he’s not ready, we’ll play someone else,” Guardiola added. “Hopefully he’s as ready as everyone else. We’ll see in the next few days.”
Guardiola’s side moved within three points of leaders Mikel Arteta as they clinched a 3-1 win after Ollie Watkins scored after the hour mark
At his press conference after the game, the city manager was cautiously optimistic about Haaland’s prospects.
“I spoke to the doctors at half-time and [they] said: ‘Maybe don’t take any chances with 3-0’. I was fine, I agreed with the doctors. With the narrower result, I might not do it,” he said.
“I don’t think he’s injured, but we’ll see tomorrow. Hopefully he can be there on Wednesday. If he’s not ready or if there’s some risk, he won’t play.”
How many goals has Erling Haaland scored this season?
Despite ongoing disputes over the merits of City’s overall game after two seasons largely working without a conventional striker, there can be no debate over Haaland’s phenomenal impact on the Premier League.
He has scored 25 goals in 21 games to take the Golden Boot lead in England’s top flight.
That haul includes a remarkable four hat-tricks, the last of which came in City’s 3-0 win over Wolves late last month.
In the Champions League, Haaland has five out of four games for City, who travel to RB Leipzig in the first leg of the round of 16 later this month.
A goal in the 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool means Haaland has scored 31 goals in 28 games in all competitions.
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What is Man City’s record without Erling Haaland?
City won the only Premier League game Haaland missed this season but needed a stunning Kevin De Bruyne free-kick to go 1-0 at Leicester City.
That absence was due to a foot injury and the next game he has appeared only as a substitute in the Premier League so far, scoring a late penalty to defeat Fulham 2-1 despite Joao Cancelo being sent off.
He was an unused substitute in the 2-0 and 4-0 wins against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively, as well as in the 0-0 draw in the Champions League in Copenhagen.
Haaland also rested for a 3-1 win over Sevilla in Europe.
Of the five City games he has not played in this season, Haaland’s understudy has met Alvarez in three of them.