Things are not going Manchester City’s way lately, and star striker Erling Haaland is feeling the frustration.
If there’s any Premier League player you’d entrust for a crucial penalty, it’s the prolific Norwegian. Yet, even he faltered under pressure this time.
In a pivotal moment, Haaland’s second-half penalty was denied by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, ane xpert in saving spot-kicks. The miss left City settling for a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, extending their troubling run of form.
“How do you react mentally?” Pep Guardiola reflected on the missed opportunity. “Life is not easy. Sport is not easy. When it happens, it is OK.
“There are still a lot of minutes to play and we had the chances afterwards. We created, incredible how they ran and fight. In some games it was not good but today well played.”
At the final whistle, a subdued Etihad crowd expressed their dissatisfaction with scattered boos. Haaland, visibly upset, ripped off his hair bobble and shirt before disappearing down the tunnel, leaving the pitch without acknowledging fans.
Meanwhile, Guardiola remained motionless on the field, his expression reflecting the weight of a team in crisis. City‘s once dominant squad has now managed only one victory in the last 13 matches across all competitions.
In the post-match conference, Guardiola’s demeanor mirrored the team’s struggles. His responses were faint and unconvincing. “My body language was positive,” he uttered. “The team played really good. We had I don’t know how many shots. The first half was brilliant.”
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