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 .
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