Victory in the FA Cup Final would not save Manchester City’s season, but it would at least salvage something from a campaign Erling Haaland has described as “horrific.”
The striker has underwhelmed for the first time since joining, having scored 15 fewer Premier League goals than he did in his first season at the club, albeit having played six fewer matches.
You can’t criticise a striker who has racked up 30 goals in all competitions with three matches left to play but Haaland sets his own incredibly high bar, and the record-breaking numbers he posted across his first two seasons have dwindled.
Erling Haaland returned to action as Man City were held to a 0-0 draw with Southampton
It still makes him City’s top scorer again by quite some distance, however he’s also big enough to admit that they have not been good enough.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Haaland laid bare the feeling from inside the City dressing room ahead of the final.
“We haven’t been stable enough this season and we haven’t won enough games, it is as simple as that. We have to perform better in the big games,” said the City striker.
Pep Guardiola has already conceded this season is a failure for Man City, despite contesting the FA Cup final
“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses. Every single one of us hasn’t been good enough and we haven’t been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren’t going to win games in this country because it’s so hard.”
Pep Guardiola was quite clear with me when I asked him a few weeks ago about their priorities for the final part of the season, that Champions League qualification was more important than lifting the FA Cup.
A run of four consecutive Premier League wins had them on the brink of achieving that aim, but the unexpected goalless draw at Southampton last Saturday, the second-worst team in Premier League history no less, has added an element of anxiety to the season finale.
While Champions League qualification remains in their own hands, City could find themselves outside the top five by the time they face Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Highlights from the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester City.
It was only two weeks ago that Pep summed up the season by saying “it could be worse.”
He’s right, it could be.
Crystal Palace have shown enough in recent weeks to suggest that they may have their best chance yet of ending their 120-year wait to lift a major trophy.
City, by contrast, have developed into serial winners, and it feels like for them to make true on their promise of returning to their best next season, winning on such a big stage is essential.
In the moment of celebration at a sun-drenched Wembley, a lot of this season’s struggles would be forgotten.
Climbing the 107 steps to receive a loser’s medal, however, could be enough to finally drain the life out of this group of City players.
The FA Cup under Roberto Mancini in 2011 kick-started their era of dominance, and for a number of reasons Saturday’s showpiece feels like the most important domestic final since.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
What did Paige Bueckers reveal in her WNBA rookie debut?
DALLAS — Napheesa Collier texted Paige Bueckers Friday morning. From one UConn champion to another, Collier wished the rookie well. “Good luck tonight!” Collier wrote. “Don’t do too much against us, wait till your next game.”Waiting isn’t in Bueckers’ DNA. As someone who has suffered through major injuries and been forced to sit out a full season of her college career, she never takes a single game for granted. And the ultimate respect she could give a fellow Huskies alumna was competing her hardest and trying to bring the best out of Collier.AdvertisementCollier, in her seventh season, brought her A-game. Bueckers, in her first WNBA contest, still has room to grow to reach that level, finishing with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. But the rookie was happy to finally get an important milestone out of the way in Dallas’ 99-84 […]
Phillies pay tribute to ‘POOP’ scoreboard before a wild win over Pirates
<!--> The beginning of Major League Baseball's Rivalry Weekend series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates was also an ending of sorts. Before the season, NBC Sports Philadelphia announced it was changing the Phillies' logo on its scorebug from the letter "P" to "PHI."Normally, that would not be a story worthy of headlines. But by doing so, the broadcast deprived fans of a simple pleasure in life: seeing a "P00P" scoreboard whenever the Phillies faced off against the Pirates. On Friday night, the network decided to pay tribute to that "gone but never forgotten" scorebug. "It was more than just a scoreboard. It was a legend," Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy solemnly read. "An unforgettable icon. Its name, once met with chuckles, quickly became synonymous with good times and fierce rivalries. As the final out arrives on its bright and brilliant run, […]
A crise da CBF em atos: entenda a novela de 8 anos que levou ao afastamento de Ednaldo Rodrigues
Ex-zagueiro e capitão da seleção brasileira: Lúcio é internado em Brasília após sofrer queimadurasPodcast Toca e passa: Diego Ribas admite que influenciava companheiros negativamente quando ia para o banco, mas destaca mudança no Flamengo Embora a decisão tenha sido motivada por indícios de fraude num documento, o afastamento de Ednaldo é parte de longa novela de quase oito anos que hoje é difícil de ser vista em toda a sua dimensão. Por isso, para compreender a queda do cartola é preciso voltar no tempo. O começo de tudo Em março de 2017, a CBF, então presidida por Marco Polo Del Nero, alterou suas regras eleitorais numa assembleia da qual só participaram as federações estaduais. A medida levou o Ministério Público do Rio (MPRJ) a entrar com ação para anular as decisões e afastar a cúpula da entidade. Antes que o […]
Só uma vaga na elite: A2 do Cariocão começa hoje com três times da capital, presidentes boleiros e possíveis surpresas
A Rua Bariri será hoje um dos quatro palcos que abrem a Série A2 do Campeonato Carioca. A partir das 15h, Olaria e Bangu se enfrentam na Zona Norte do Rio de Janeiro, em confronto suburbano de dois dos três times da capital fluminense - o America é o outro. Ambos já se encontraram em situação melhor, mas a missão agora é vencer a corrida por uma vaga na elite do Estadual. O America é o outro, e hoje recebe a Cabofriense em Edson Passos, para um encontro entre os presidentes Romário e André Felipe. Em um torneio no qual sobram boas histórias em 2025, os 12 participantes se enfrentarão em 11 rodadas de um turno único. Os quatro primeiros colocados avançarão à semifinal, e somente o campeão sobe. Esta é a expectativa principal para o Bangu, rebaixado neste ano […]
Čeští hokejisté dosud stoprocentní. Jaká je historická bilance Česka s Kazachstánem na MS v hokeji
Dosud poslední vzájemný zápas sehrála česká reprezentace s Kazachstánem na světovém šampionátu v roce 2023 v lotyšské Rize. Češi tehdy nad svým soupeřem zvítězili přesvědčivě 5:1.Teprve páté vzájemné utkání se odehraje na letošním šampionátu v základní skupině v dánském Herningu. Utkání je na programu v sobotu 17. května od 16:20.Bilance Česko - Kazaschstán na MS v hokejiDatumMísto, fázeVýsledek26. dubna 2004Praha, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 7:05. května 2005Vídeň, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 1:013. května 2016Moskva, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 3:114. května 2023Riga, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 5:117. května 2025Herning, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán ONLINEObě reprezentace se na světových šampionátech zatím utkali pouze čtyřikrát. Stoprocentní bilancí se můžou pochlubit Češi, když všechny zápasy vyhráli a obdrželi v nich dohromady pouze dvě branky. V posledním utkání na šampionátu v lotyšské Rize čeští hokejisté vyhráli 5:1.Nejcennějším umístěním v historii kazašské reprezentace na MS je 10. místo z roku 2021. Na posledním mistrovství hraném v Praze se Kazachstán umístil na 12. místě, když za sebou nechal pouze Dánsko, Francii, […]
Z psance národním hrdinou. Roky schytával zlobu fandů, teď Červenku čeká 100. zápas na MS
Herning (Od našeho zpravodaje) - Už je to víc než 16 let, dohromady 5 866 dní, co ho kouč Vladimír Růžička na světovém šampionátu ve Švýcarsku poslal do úvodního mače proti Dánsku. Zařadil ho do čtvrté lajny, po boku měl Plekance s Oleszem a vyjma dvouminutového trestu za nedovolené bránění se do statistik výrazněji nezapsal.A ani v nejmenším to nevypadalo, že právě započala výjimečná kariéra Romana Červenky na světových šampionátech, která se v sobotu zakulatí na číslovce 100, což v historii dokázala pouze dvacítka jiných plejerů. A že ta kariéra bude čítat dva tituly mistra světa, přičemž k tomu druhému dovede tým jako kapitán. Že dvakrát bude zvolen i do All star výběru a od prezidenta si vyslouží i státní vyznamenání.Vlastně tomu moc nenasvědčovalo ani po tom sedm let starém smutku v Herningu. „Není potřeba si nic nalhávat. Moje góly celému mužstvu chyběly,“ soukal tehdy ze sebe.Jaký rozdíl oproti letošku, kde už po prvním […]
Related
What did Paige Bueckers reveal in her WNBA rookie debut?
DALLAS — Napheesa Collier texted Paige Bueckers Friday morning. From one UConn champion to another, Collier wished the rookie well. “Good luck tonight!” Collier wrote. “Don’t do too much against us, wait till your next game.”Waiting isn’t in Bueckers’ DNA. As someone who has suffered through major injuries and been forced to sit out a full season of her college career, she never takes a single game for granted. And the ultimate respect she could give a fellow Huskies alumna was competing her hardest and trying to bring the best out of Collier.AdvertisementCollier, in her seventh season, brought her A-game. Bueckers, in her first WNBA contest, still has room to grow to reach that level, finishing with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. But the rookie was happy to finally get an important milestone out of the way in Dallas’ 99-84 […]
Phillies pay tribute to ‘POOP’ scoreboard before a wild win over Pirates
<!--> The beginning of Major League Baseball's Rivalry Weekend series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates was also an ending of sorts. Before the season, NBC Sports Philadelphia announced it was changing the Phillies' logo on its scorebug from the letter "P" to "PHI."Normally, that would not be a story worthy of headlines. But by doing so, the broadcast deprived fans of a simple pleasure in life: seeing a "P00P" scoreboard whenever the Phillies faced off against the Pirates. On Friday night, the network decided to pay tribute to that "gone but never forgotten" scorebug. "It was more than just a scoreboard. It was a legend," Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy solemnly read. "An unforgettable icon. Its name, once met with chuckles, quickly became synonymous with good times and fierce rivalries. As the final out arrives on its bright and brilliant run, […]
A crise da CBF em atos: entenda a novela de 8 anos que levou ao afastamento de Ednaldo Rodrigues
Ex-zagueiro e capitão da seleção brasileira: Lúcio é internado em Brasília após sofrer queimadurasPodcast Toca e passa: Diego Ribas admite que influenciava companheiros negativamente quando ia para o banco, mas destaca mudança no Flamengo Embora a decisão tenha sido motivada por indícios de fraude num documento, o afastamento de Ednaldo é parte de longa novela de quase oito anos que hoje é difícil de ser vista em toda a sua dimensão. Por isso, para compreender a queda do cartola é preciso voltar no tempo. O começo de tudo Em março de 2017, a CBF, então presidida por Marco Polo Del Nero, alterou suas regras eleitorais numa assembleia da qual só participaram as federações estaduais. A medida levou o Ministério Público do Rio (MPRJ) a entrar com ação para anular as decisões e afastar a cúpula da entidade. Antes que o […]
Só uma vaga na elite: A2 do Cariocão começa hoje com três times da capital, presidentes boleiros e possíveis surpresas
A Rua Bariri será hoje um dos quatro palcos que abrem a Série A2 do Campeonato Carioca. A partir das 15h, Olaria e Bangu se enfrentam na Zona Norte do Rio de Janeiro, em confronto suburbano de dois dos três times da capital fluminense - o America é o outro. Ambos já se encontraram em situação melhor, mas a missão agora é vencer a corrida por uma vaga na elite do Estadual. O America é o outro, e hoje recebe a Cabofriense em Edson Passos, para um encontro entre os presidentes Romário e André Felipe. Em um torneio no qual sobram boas histórias em 2025, os 12 participantes se enfrentarão em 11 rodadas de um turno único. Os quatro primeiros colocados avançarão à semifinal, e somente o campeão sobe. Esta é a expectativa principal para o Bangu, rebaixado neste ano […]
Čeští hokejisté dosud stoprocentní. Jaká je historická bilance Česka s Kazachstánem na MS v hokeji
Dosud poslední vzájemný zápas sehrála česká reprezentace s Kazachstánem na světovém šampionátu v roce 2023 v lotyšské Rize. Češi tehdy nad svým soupeřem zvítězili přesvědčivě 5:1.Teprve páté vzájemné utkání se odehraje na letošním šampionátu v základní skupině v dánském Herningu. Utkání je na programu v sobotu 17. května od 16:20.Bilance Česko - Kazaschstán na MS v hokejiDatumMísto, fázeVýsledek26. dubna 2004Praha, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 7:05. května 2005Vídeň, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 1:013. května 2016Moskva, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 3:114. května 2023Riga, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán 5:117. května 2025Herning, skupinaČesko - Kazachstán ONLINEObě reprezentace se na světových šampionátech zatím utkali pouze čtyřikrát. Stoprocentní bilancí se můžou pochlubit Češi, když všechny zápasy vyhráli a obdrželi v nich dohromady pouze dvě branky. V posledním utkání na šampionátu v lotyšské Rize čeští hokejisté vyhráli 5:1.Nejcennějším umístěním v historii kazašské reprezentace na MS je 10. místo z roku 2021. Na posledním mistrovství hraném v Praze se Kazachstán umístil na 12. místě, když za sebou nechal pouze Dánsko, Francii, […]
Z psance národním hrdinou. Roky schytával zlobu fandů, teď Červenku čeká 100. zápas na MS
Herning (Od našeho zpravodaje) - Už je to víc než 16 let, dohromady 5 866 dní, co ho kouč Vladimír Růžička na světovém šampionátu ve Švýcarsku poslal do úvodního mače proti Dánsku. Zařadil ho do čtvrté lajny, po boku měl Plekance s Oleszem a vyjma dvouminutového trestu za nedovolené bránění se do statistik výrazněji nezapsal.A ani v nejmenším to nevypadalo, že právě započala výjimečná kariéra Romana Červenky na světových šampionátech, která se v sobotu zakulatí na číslovce 100, což v historii dokázala pouze dvacítka jiných plejerů. A že ta kariéra bude čítat dva tituly mistra světa, přičemž k tomu druhému dovede tým jako kapitán. Že dvakrát bude zvolen i do All star výběru a od prezidenta si vyslouží i státní vyznamenání.Vlastně tomu moc nenasvědčovalo ani po tom sedm let starém smutku v Herningu. „Není potřeba si nic nalhávat. Moje góly celému mužstvu chyběly,“ soukal tehdy ze sebe.Jaký rozdíl oproti letošku, kde už po prvním […]
Be the first to leave a comment