Phil Foden, Dom Szoboszlai respond to Erling Haaland after Man City thrash Al-Ahli
Erling Haaland took to social media after getting on the scoresheet as Man City beat Al-Ahli at the Club World Cup.
The 2024/25 campaign was a poor one for the 24-year-old’s standards, but even with the entire squad struggling for form across all competitions, he still managed 32 goals and five assists in 46 appearances.
Richard Keys has suggested that there should be concerns over Haaland at Man City, but the Norwegian star now has the likes of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki to play off in the final third.
New signings were key for Pep Guardiola‘s side on Monday, 23 June, with Claudio Echeverri and Cherki both on the scoresheet, as well as Ilkay Gundogan, Oscar Bobb, and Haaland in a 6-0 win in America.
The Citizens are challenging Juventus for the top spot in Group G, with the two sides set to face each other on Thursday, 26 June, and it all comes down to the final game.
Erling Haaland on the scoresheet in Man City win
Taking to Instagram (23 June), Haaland shared images of him celebrating after tucking away a penalty, with the caption: “Last 16,” and a padlock emoji, to which Cherki replied with two fire emojis.
Teammates Foden, Nathan Ake, Savinho, and Tijjani Reijnders were joined by Liverpool‘s Dominik Szoboszlai in liking the post.
Pep Guardiola to get Man City firing again ahead of 2025/26 campaign
Football Insider verdict
City’s 2024/25 season saw Guardiola come under pressure from frustrated supporters, and rightly so, with the team struggling to mount a challenge for the Premier League title against Liverpool.
A top-five finish in the league was the main ambition, having been knocked out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup at early stages, and not even the FA Cup could help bring home silverware.
Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace won their first-ever major trophy at Wembley Stadium, with Tottenham-linked playmaker Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal in the final.
Mick Brown told Football Insider earlier this month that Jack Grealish could lead a seven-man Man City exodus this summer, with the team needing to get back to basics after a difficult season.
Having notched 52 goals in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, it is clear that Haaland needs better service in the final third, and the new signings are very likely to provide that.
However, with the amount of money already spent in the summer transfer window, several exits will be expected, with Kevin De Bruyne‘s move to Napoli just the beginning.