Erling Haaland has made a habit of rewriting rekord books with Manchester City, but for the first time this season his inability to score is starting to draw real attention.
The Norwegian star has now gone three consecutive matches and 270 minutes without scoring, with his last goal coming on November 9 in City’s 3-1 win over Liverpool. For a player who had exploded to 14 Premier League goals by that point and surged into a commanding lead in the Golden Boot race, the sudden pause is unusual enough to raise quiet concern inside and outside the club.
City have managed to keep winning during this brief dry spell, and one clear positive to emerge is the reminder that the squad is not entirely dependent on Haaland‘s goals. Phil Foden, who had been rotated out earlier in the week, returned with a performance that underlined his ability to carry more of the offensive burden when required.
A crucial support for Haaland and City
That kind of support is crucial for City as they navigate domestic and European commitments, especially if Haaland‘s scoring rhythm takes time to return. The contrast to Haaland‘s form earlier in the campaign is striking. After Mohamed Salah‘s historic 29-goal, 18-assist season last year, the expectation was that the Golden Boot race might be wide open again. Instead, Haaland quickly established separation.
Even after missing a penalty against Liverpool on November 9, he still found the net to reach 14 league goals and reinforce his status as the clear leader. Chasers such as Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Brighton’s Danny Welbeck have tried to close the gap, with Thiago making the biggest move by scoring twice in Week 12, but none have seriously threatened Haaland’s position at the top.
That is what makes this quiet stretch so noticeable. Haaland is not only leading the Premier League scoring race, he is also producing at a historic rate across competitions. His current season total sits at 32 goals in 20 matches when club and country are combined, averaging nearly one and a half goals per game.
Context matters
There is also the broader context of how Haaland is perceived. With such relentless efficiency, his goalscoring has at times become normalized, with descriptions like “machine” and “cheat code” used so often that they threaten to strip away the human element of his game.
Yet this season has again shown the range behind the numbers, from his delicate header against Napoli to the audacious dink versus Manchester United and the ruthless brace against Bournemouth. Even in matches where he has not scored recently, he has continued to contribute through intelligent movement, link-up play, and work off the ball that does not always show up in the box score.
Still, for Manchester City, the concern is less about whether Haaland is still one of the best strikers in the world and more about timing. With the team competing on multiple fronts and chasing yet another league title and deep Champions League run, they rely heavily on the pressure his goals put on opponents.
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