Manchester City return to action after the international break in the Premier League on Saturday evening as they prepare to welcome Tottenham Hotspur to The Etihad.
The Cityzens are looking to end a run of four straight defeats in all competitions, one of which came at the hands of Spurs in the League Cup.
Pep Guardiola’s side also lost their last two Premier League matches, to Bournemouth and Brighton, and were beaten 4-1 by Sporting in the Champions League.
The Spanish head coach may want to see more from his superstar striker, Erling Haaland, who has been far from at his best for the club in recent weeks.
He has scored five goals and failed to provide an assist in his last nine games in all competitions for City, with two goals in his last six Premier League matches.
This comes after the Norway international had plundered a staggering ten goals in his first five appearances in the division this season, which illustrates his drop-off in form.
The prolific marksman has been a huge success since his move to The Etihad from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of £51m.
Erling Haaland's goal record for Manchester City
In just over two seasons with City, the 24-year-old sensation has scored a mind-blowing 105 goals and provided 14 assists in 114 appearances in all competitions.
Haaland has scored 75 goals in 77 matches in the Premier League, to date, and made history as the quickest player to reach 50 goals in the division’s history, doing so in just 48 outings.
His first season with City, after his big-money move from Dortmund, was nothing short of extraordinary as Guardiola’s side secured the treble, winning the Champions League, the Premier League, and the FA Cup.
Haaland produced 52 goals and nine assists in 53 appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign, including 12 goals in 11 Champions League clashes.
Starts
33
xG
28.66
Goals
36
Conversion rate
29%
Assists
8
As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian star had a sensational debut year in the top-flight with a return of 44 direct goal contributions in 33 starts.
All of these statistics illustrate how incredible Haaland has been for City in recent years and why it is so important for Guardiola to get him back to his best in the coming weeks.
However, it remains to be seen how long he will remain a Cityzens player for, amid reported interest from Real Madrid, and the club may have already sold their long-term replacement for the former Dortmund man in Liam Delap.
Why Manchester City sold Liam Delap
In the summer transfer window earlier this year, Manchester City decided to cash in on the son of Rory Delap. They sold him to newly-promoted Ipswich Town for a reported fee of £15m with £5m in potential add-ons.
Whilst it was never officially revealed why they decided to make that call, City may have moved the 21-year-old centre-forward on after an unspectacular season in the Championship with Hull City.
The England U21 international spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Tigers and only managed a return of eight goals and two assists in 31 appearances in the second tier, which was far from a prolific return.
That came after the young marksman had scored four goals in 37 matches for Preston North End and Stoke City combined on loan in the previous Championship season.
U18
17
11
7
Youth League
2
0
0
U23
36
35
9
First-team
6
1
0
As you can see in the table above, those loans in the second tier came after his incredibly prolific time at academy level with the Manchester City youth teams.
Delap showcased Haaland-esque potential with his 46 goals and 16 assists in 53 games at U18 and U23 level combined, but did not translate that kind of form to his time at senior level with Preston, Stoke, or Hull.
His failure to score goals on a regular basis in the Championship may, therefore, have been why Guardiola decided to part ways with the striker in the summer, despite also selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
Liam Delap's form this season
The 21-year-old star’s form since moving to Ipswich suggests that his departure was a mistake and that City may have already sold their long-term replacement for Haaland, if he moves on to another club in the future.
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Delap has hit the ground running in the Premier League, despite playing for a team that has won one game so far, with a return of six goals in 11 matches.
Whilst that is not outstanding by Manchester City or Haaland’s standards it may be just as impressive, if not more so, than what the Norway international has done this term, given the xG shown for both players in the graphic above.
Delap has been incredibly efficient and ruthless in front of goal with the limited chances that have come his way, and starred against Man City’s next opponents with a goal and an assist against Spurs in his last league game.
Such has been the quality of his performances in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys, Caught Offside recently reported that Manchester City – alongside the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle – are interested in signing the £33m-rated star.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the forward has a “huge future” in the Premier League, and hailed the “complete” number nine’s “powerful” finishing, which has been on display for Ipswich this term.
At the age of 21, Delap still has plenty of time left to develop and improve and has already shown potential to be a fantastic centre-forward in the top-flight if he can build on his performances for the Tractor Boys.
His form at youth level for Manchester City shows that he has the knack for scoring goals on a regular basis and if he can kick on and reach those heights in senior football, Guardiola may regret cashing in on his next Haaland.
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