Pep Guardiola: His fitness and Erling Haaland’s dismissal will improve | Manchester city

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Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland will only improve once he is able to build up his fitness during the World Cup break.

Haaland netted his 19th and 20th goal of the season to help beat Leeds 3-1 in only his 14th Premier League appearance for the club. The Norwegian arrived in the summer from Borussia Dortmund, where he missed large parts of last season due to injury. Due to Norway’s absence from the Qatar 2022 tournament, Haaland avoided the mental and physical stress of football.

“I think he is still not at his best because of the injury,” Guardiola said. “Moving his huge body is not easy for him but as much as he can play, the minutes will be better.” “I had a feeling he wasn’t in the best shape. It’s only a matter of time.” [He is] Always an incredible threat to the opponent. The numbers are unbelievable but I have a feeling he doesn’t just come here for the numbers, he wants to win them. There are still 70 points to play.”

Haaland admitted he could have scored five goals at Elland Road to add to his impressive tally. Guardiola said, “He missed chances, and I hope he performs better, but the numbers are exceptional, and they pose an incredible threat to us and are always in the right place at the right time.”

Victory at Elland Road puts City five points behind leaders Arsenal with Haaland completing 90 minutes as he looks to step up his intensity in front of goal. He scored against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last week in the first game after the break that saw him recover. “When we started training in Abu Dhabi, he couldn’t train one day, maybe the last day.”

The rest did him good. “It kind of recharged my batteries, and watching other people score and win games at the World Cup kind of excites me and motivates me and also upsets me,” Haaland told Amazon.com. “I am hungry and ready as ever.”

Haaland’s goals at Leeds have outdone his former Salzburg coach Jesse Marsh, with whom he remains close. “I’m really happy for him,” said Marsh. “In some ways, watching him score is excruciating, I want him on a different set.

“But when you know some of these guys, and you see their qualities as people, you want them to do their best, not just against your team. But my God, I’m happy for him, he’s such an amazing guy.”

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