Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's big boss, took a jab at the media after being asked about Haaland's goal drought—he hasn't scored from open play in nine consecutive matches across all competitions.
On 27 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, defended Erling Haaland, who despite having scored 26 goals this season, has clearly seen a drop in form recently. Guardiola made a pointed remark before the crucial Champions League match against Galatasaray on Wednesday night, emphasizing that Haaland's scoring slump is not a cause for concern.
Haaland was dropped to the bench for the first time this Premier League season in the match where City beat Wolves 2-0 last Saturday, to keep him fresh for their final group stage game in the Champions League.
Currently, Guardiola's team sits outside the top eight in the group and must beat the Turkish giants and hope for favorable results elsewhere to automatically qualify for the knockout stage and avoid the playoff round.
Two weeks ago, Guardiola said Haaland was fatigued from a demanding schedule. Haaland's last goal was a penalty against Brighton on 7 January, while his most recent goal from open play came in the match against West Ham on 20 December.
When asked about Haaland's readiness ahead of the Galatasaray clash, Guardiola jokingly replied, "I didn't have dinner with him last night, so I don't know. We'll see."
Pressed further on why Haaland hasn't been scoring lately, he said, "It's a team issue. We need to play better and create more chances, then he will score. Don't underestimate a striker's ability to score because eventually they will silence you. I'm a thoughtful manager, but not one who pampers players emotionally. Modern managers just watch videos. I haven't spoken to players directly in three years, so problems have lessened."