Erling Haaland has expressed his disappointment with the cameraman who saw Manchester City’s title hopes take a hit following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Rodri’s equalizer salvaged a point for the defending champions after a first-half goal from their former striker Raheem Sterling. However, City missed many chances; They had 32 shots to Chelsea’s nine, with Haaland responsible for some of the worst misses.
This frustration was made clear after the final whistle when he pushed aside a cameraman from Sky TV who was trying to get a post-match close-up. Sky showed the incident on its social media channels, trying to downplay the record-breaking striker’s shove.
But it could have been much worse had Rodri not emerged to preserve City’s record of not losing at the Etihad since November 2022. The Spaniard, who has not lost a single match in City colors since losing to Spurs on February 5, 2023, believed in his performance. the side lacked courage in defeat.
“We were not very good in the first half. We conceded another easy goal,” he said. “We need to defend better. They could do almost nothing in the first half. We knew their counter-attacks and fast players, but we need to defend counter-attacks better. It’s always harder to come back from there.
“We tried in the second half. [We had more] We wanted the ball and we wanted to take risks. We were a little afraid of counter attacks [in the first half]. You should be brave.”
City were forced to count the cost of their misses; The worst was Haaland’s errant free header in the 78th minute. However, Chelsea, which was leading until the 83rd minute, was disappointed because it could not turn the difference into a victory in the first half.
“We were a bit disappointed to win the game,” midfielder Conor Gallagher said.
“They were dominating the game in terms of possession but I think we had a lot of chances to win the game. We were disappointed to concede a late goal but we were happy with the result.”
Robots may malfunction: Haaland’s record-breaking day off
Erling Haaland is launching a new ice cream brand, but after a disappointing evening, celebratory sweet treats have been banned.
In a week when the City striker was photographed fronting the ‘Haaland Cream’ campaign in Norway, a moody pan of a TV camera after the final whistle summed up the dark mood when nothing goes his way.
Kevin De Bruyne’s perfect cross followed by an unmarked header over the bar from inside the six-yard box left the Etihad crowd gasping in disbelief and Pep Guardiola burying his head in his hands.
It was the incongruous story of Haaland’s unhappy day.
Nine shots (one well saved by Djordje Petrovic at the start of the second half) and no goals.
Haaland set a new record for xG fans this season with 1.71 minutes without scoring in a Premier League match. For those who aren’t xG fans, he couldn’t bang on the barn door with a banjo.
Haaland’s profligacy might have been more costly had Rodri not saved a point for City, but the desperation the forward felt as he left the pitch was clear from the responsibility he felt for two points being dropped.
Guardiola couldn’t care less about his body language, but it was completely appropriate to the circumstances.
“We have created a lot,” Manchester City’s manager said ruefully. “It’s nice to get nine shots and next time he’ll score. I don’t blame this. This is football. “This is human.”
Humanity’s reminder is valuable. Haaland’s goalscoring record is so remarkable that it’s easy to dismiss him as a machine. But flesh and blood can be mistaken.
He has scored in only two of his last seven games for City. For him, this is considered a routine.
He looked like he could be at his best with his muscular finisher against Everton last week after a mid-season injury absence, but it was a step backwards.
In the 12th minute, Julian Alvarez’s cross went over the Chelsea bar and determined the course of the match. Phil Foden’s ridiculous volley after the break offered more of the same.
If it was unfortunate that Levi Colwill blocked a close-range attack, then his failed header 12 minutes later was also unlucky. It’s as if he had too much freedom – a case of penalty area agoraphobia – as he steered the ball over the crossbar.
Haaland still has 16 goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season, which shows the threat he carries, but this was certainly a game he would like to forget in a hurry. It’s been a bad few days on a personal level, having lost his grandmother earlier in the week.
With Haaland out of action, it looked as if Chelsea would be the team to shut out City and end their 44-game goal streak at the Etihad until Rodri emerged to save the day.
Chelsea’s defense should get credit. They showed a manly attitude against the champions without Thiago Silva.
If City had been awarded an extra-time penalty for handball against Levi Colwill after a desperate late challenge, it would have been the cruelest of endings to an energetic away display.
The Etihad is a place where hope often dies for visiting teams but Colwill and 20-year-old Malo Gusto were outstanding.
It was a strong performance in both organization and heart; It’s something that hasn’t always been the case at Chelsea this season.
No wonder their manager Mauricio Pochettino was beaming after the game.
“The spirit we showed today was huge,” Pochettino said. “One day we will reach the level we expect. “It’s never easy to play against the best team in the world and I’m very happy with the character and personality we showed.”
“It was a really important day to show that we are improving. “We need these kinds of games.”
Haaland will return to the horse against Brentford in midweek. Will I get a hangover from this?
It’s possible, but more likely things will be Haaland venting his frustrations on exacting Viking revenge on the defenseless Bees.
There is a dam ready to burst and someone somewhere will stop it.