Pep Guardiola has responded to Roy Keane’s negative remarks about Erling Haaland, labelling the Norwegian as the “premier striker worldwide”. He credited Haaland’s skills as crucial to Manchester City’s treble victory in the previous season.
Following an unfruitful match against Arsenal, Roy Keane, ex-Manchester United and Ireland player, criticised Haaland’s overall performance despite applauding his scoring abilities. Keane likened his performance to that of a lower tier player, but Guardiola firmly disagrees with this observation.
Guardiola articulated his views prior to the Manchester City versus Aston Villa game, contending that Haaland’s skills are comparable to that of a top-tier manager, not a second or third league player. Guardiola believes Haaland’s performance against Arsenal was remarkable and dismisses the lack of goal opportunities as not being Haaland’s fault.
When questioned about the potential contribution of players like Julián Álvarez, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, or Oscar Bobb in comparison to Haaland, Guardiola acknowledged that those players may exhibit more positional mobility. However, he maintained that things are as they stand.
Guardiola also updated the status of Nathan Aké, stating that the ever-versatile Dutch defender will be out of the upcoming Villa game due to an injury he incurred over the weekend. Uncertainty surrounds his comeback timeline.
In other squad updates, John Stones may potentially return for Villa, however, Kyle Walker’s status is doubtful for the forthcoming game against Real Madrid. Despite the doctor’s prognosis, Guardiola remains optimistic, acknowledging Walker’s remarkable physical resilience.
Manchester City lags three points behind Liverpool and is one point adrift of Arsenal. They need both teams to stumble in the remaining eight matches after the midweek games to hold onto their champion status. Liverpool will face off against Manchester United, leaving Guardiola in a tricky position of supporting City’s arch-nemesis. He jokingly stated, “I cheer for United always,” before promptly refusing any serious endorsement.
A setback has hit Villa as ace forward Ollie Watkins is set to miss the match against City. The English player suffered a hamstring injury while triumphing 2-0 over Wolves on Saturday. Despite his eagerness to continue post-interval, medical advice prevailed. Unai Emery, the Villa coach, referred to it as a ‘minor injury’ that still renders him unfit for the upcoming match at the Etihad Stadium. Villa will also be without Jacob Ramsey, owing to a foot issue since last month’s onset. – Guardian