Man Metropolis want greater than Haaland as season sits on knife’s edge

MANCHESTER, England — For 75 minutes on Tuesday night time, Manchester City had been cruising in opposition to Feyenoord and heading to Liverpool on Sunday with a much-needed injection of confidence after a bruising run of 5 straight defeats. By the point supervisor Pep Guardiola walked again down the tunnel at full-time, although, he had watched the Dutch facet horribly expose the vulnerability that’s infecting his staff, and a sport that ought to have resulted in a 3-0 residence win completed in a 3-3 draw.

It wasn’t a sixth consecutive defeat, it simply felt like one.

Feyenoord scored 3 times within the closing quarter-hour on the Etihad Stadium to depart Metropolis with work to do to complete within the high eight of the Champions League group section. Extra instantly, Guardiola should go to Anfield this weekend to play the Premier League leaders with a gaggle of gamers who look chronically low on confidence. It is now six video games with out a win and 7 targets conceded within the area of 4 days.

The ending to the sport was such a shock that it left Guardiola misplaced for phrases.

“It’s not essential to say something to [the players], they understand it completely,” Guardiola stated. “It’s what it’s. It is tough to swallow now.

“We give away particularly the primary one and after we’re not steady sufficient. The sport was good, we performed nicely, we scored three and will have scored extra. We’re a staff who concede few, few targets over these eight or 9 years. We can’t shut the video games. Now we relaxation one or two days and put together for Anfield.”

For giant elements of the primary half, Metropolis performed like a staff making an attempt to rediscover themselves. The swagger that has seen them win the final 4 Premier League titles has drained away throughout their worst run of type since 2006.

For some time, although, it regarded as if Erling Haaland would paper over the cracks. A lot of the first-half efficiency regarded awkward and disjointed till the Norwegian striker smashed in a penalty within the forty fourth minute.

It appeared to demoralise Feyenoord, who then conceded two extra in eight minutes after half-time. Ilkay Gündoğan‘s deflected volley made it 2-0 earlier than Matheus Nunes raced away down the proper and crossed for Haaland to attain his second of the night time. He now has 51 aim involvements (targets and assists) within the Champions League — reaching the benchmark in 44 video games, fewer than anybody else within the competitors’s historical past.

The fantastic thing about having such a prolific aim scorer is that he can cowl up any variety of issues.

Guardiola actually thought he’d accomplished sufficient to win the sport, and with one eye on Liverpool, he took the chance to substitute Nathan Aké, Phil Foden and Gündoğan with greater than 20 minutes to go. It left Nunes and James McAtee within the centre of midfield, and a Feyenoord staff that regarded devoid of any attacking concepts had been out of the blue emboldened.

Anis Hadj Moussa scored what seemed to be a comfort earlier than substitute Santiago Giménez — coming back from damage — bundled in a second with eight minutes to go.

Within the wake of the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, Guardiola branded his staff “fragile.” And that is precisely how they regarded throughout a chaotic finale.

Igor Paixão chased a protracted ball excessive, Ederson got here flying out to clear the hazard solely to be left in a heap on the sector. With solely Rico Lewis guarding the aim, Paixão crossed for Dávid Hancko to move in and ship the Feyenoord followers behind the aim right into a bouncing mass of delirium.

“In the event you’re from Feyenoord it was an unbelievable night,” coach Brian Priske stated. “It was a wierd sport. It was an unbelievable outcome. For me, they’re nonetheless the very best staff on the planet. You at all times imagine, however we knew it was at all times going to be a tough sport. We do not normally have fun attracts however it is a bit particular.”

The travelling Feyenoord supporters spent the ultimate jiffy chanting the title of former boss Arne Slot — now in command of Liverpool — and singing “You will By no means Stroll Alone.”

Slot has acquired the small matter of Real Madrid to take care of on Wednesday earlier than going through Metropolis this weekend, however when it comes time to observe the ultimate quarter-hour of the sport in opposition to Feyenoord, the Dutchman shall be licking his lips in anticipation. Liverpool have scored two or extra targets in every of their previous six video games. Metropolis, in the meantime, have conceded at the least two in every of their previous six.

Guardiola stated Saturday that Metropolis shall be out of the title race earlier than Christmas in the event that they lose at Anfield and permit an 11-point hole to extend. His job now’s to attempt to carry his gamers to make sure it does not occur.

“We now have to [win], now we have to,” stated Guardiola of Sunday’s match in opposition to Liverpool. “That’s my job. We did not lose at the moment. Everyone is aware of the state of affairs. I haven’t got so as to add completely something. We’re going to practice [Wednesday], get well and put together for the following sport. Time off and now we have two or three days to organize and go for it.”

Even at this early stage, it feels as if their season is on a knife edge.