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⚽️Football Erling Haaland: What Does The Manchester City Striker Do When He Doesn't Score?

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"Is Erling Haaland not getting the service or does he need to do more?"

That was the question Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville posed after the striker had a peripheral role in Saturday's Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford.

He registered 20 touches during the 2-1 loss. Lower than any other player on the pitch that played the full 90 minutes. Even Jack Grealish, who came on after 57 minutes, had five more touches and managed a goal.

Haaland, though, has scored 21 goals in 17 Premier League games this season and is on course to break the record tally for a single Premier League season (34) at a canter.

But now he's gone three matches without a goal - something the 22-year-old has done only four times over the past four seasons - it puts his overall game under the spotlight. So, what does he do when he doesn't score?

Pep Guardiola admitted after the defeat to United that Man City need to find a way to get Haaland more involved in the build-up.

"When teams are sat in their 18-yard box, it is more difficult but we have to find him a little bit more, yes," Guardiola said.

"(Against United) he had enough touches, but it's true that when you are looking at areas and you have to look at him. But we will do it."

Haaland has averaged just 26.9 touches per 90 minutes for City in the Premier League this season. Julian Alvarez, the other striker in the squad, is next lowest on 44 touches per 90.

Clearly, it is the forward position in Guardiola's system that sees the least of the ball. Last season Gabriel Jesus (53.9), Raheem Sterling (55.4) and Phil Foden (59) - all three of whom were used as a false nine - had the lowest touches per 90. But City are finding it easier to pass to Alvarez, which suggests that Haaland could be doing more to involve himself in the build-up. But should he?

The heatmap comparison of the pair shows that most of Haaland's time on the pitch is spent in the box in between the goalposts, while Alvarez drops back into midfield and out to the wings. It's also where he scores most of his goals.

Haaland's positioning differs from Guardiola's previous preference, but it has delivered a rate of 1.35 goals per 90 in the league. Alvarez, meanwhile, is scoring 0.75 goals per 90 having played more than 1,000 minutes fewer than his team-mate.
 
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