Guardiola confident of Haaland revival if Man City ‘play better’

Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland will find his form so long as the rest of his Manchester City team-mates raise their game but has not ruled out January transfer window signings as he looks to revive the Premier League champions’ fortunes.

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City are enduring a slump unlike any Guardiola has known in his celebrated managerial career, having lost eight and won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions.

Haaland slump

The downturn has seen the usually prolific Haaland, a key figure while City were winning an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles, denied of service and chances while scoring just once in his last five appearances.

Guardiola, however, said he had no interest in reverting to the ‘false nine’ system that he has used to good effect in the past.

“I prefer to play with Erling,” said Guardiola ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa.

“I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play — absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.

“Always I play false nines for the quality specifically of the players I have in that moment.

“In some games playing man to man, I love to play against false nines but I have an Erling, I have to adapt.”

The Catalan boss added: “I see him well, I see him fine. The reason why maybe he’s not so productive in this situation is for the way we are playing, that we don’t produce the amount of chances that we were able to do in the past.

“When he’s surrounded by two or three or four central defenders it’s not easy for him. We have to play better, to create the spaces for him.”

Guardiola – ‘We have to see if something is possible’

City have rarely ventured into the transfer market during the January window in Guardiola’s eight years in charge but he accepts that policy could change this time around.

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“We’ll see,” he said. “I don’t know how many times in the last years we’ve gone into the winter (market) — maybe just Aymeric Laporte seven years ago.

“We’re not a big fan of that but the circumstances of this season have been special. We have to see if something is possible and if not we will wait until the summer time.”