Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come to the defense of striker Erling Haaland following criticism from former Manchester United captain Roy Keane after Sunday’s goalless draw with Arsenal.
Keane had criticized Haaland’s “general play,” likening it to that of a League Two player, but Guardiola strongly disagreed with this assessment.
Guardiola praised Haaland as the best striker in the world and emphasized his importance to the team, highlighting his exceptional goal-scoring record and contribution to City’s success.
The manager attributed City’s inability to create more scoring opportunities against Arsenal to the need for more presence in the final third, rather than Haaland’s performance.
Responding to Keane’s criticism, Guardiola pointed out that there are many factors at play in football and that success or failure cannot be attributed to a single reason.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton labeled Keane’s criticism as “total nonsense” and defended Haaland, highlighting the quality of Arsenal’s defenders and emphasizing Haaland’s role as a goal-scoring striker rather than a creative player.
While acknowledging that Haaland could improve certain aspects of his game, former City defender Micah Richards suggested that Haaland could use his physical presence more effectively to hold up the ball and contribute to the team’s build-up play.