The Haaland situation: Does a striker need to be an all-round footballer?

In what promises to be one of the biggest matches of the 2025/26 season in the English Premier League, ahead of matchweek 25, Manchester City will be travelling to Anfield for a blockbuster fixture we have become familiar with in recent years.

But this time, the stakes are significantly different for the clubs involved.

Liverpool will be fighting for at least a Champions League spot to save face in light of the recent decline, and Arne Slot, who Sportsbuzzfeed revealed to be struggling with the inherited job, will probably be battling to remain in charge at the Merseyside club.

The visitors, on the other hand, will be coming to strengthen their claim to the title, as the league leaders Arsenal already opened a nine-point gap following a 3–0 win against Sunderland a day earlier.

To avoid calling it too early, anything less than a win here for Manchester City would be a dent to their hope for an impressive seventh title in ten years, and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could finally be celebrating the league title at the Emirates after over two decades.

It does not help that Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled this season. Relatively speaking, they have unexpectedly dropped points, and have had some woeful performances for a team of their level, including a recent 3–1 Champions League defeat to Bodo Glimt from Eliteserien, a league that ranks 21st globally.

But one of the biggest talking points going into this match is Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian, who stands apart in conversations about today’s strikers, joined Manchester City in 2022. Since then, he has scored 151 goals and provided 26 assists in 181 appearances across all competitions.

In the Premier League alone, he has racked up a mind-blowing 105 goals in 121 appearances, with 22 assists. Going by that number, that is 0.87 goals per match.

He led the team to two league titles, a Champions League, the Super Cup and other trophies, winning two Premier League Golden Boots and the Gerd Muller trophy, among other personal achievements.

This season, he already has 20 goals and five assists in 24 Premier League appearances.

However, the 25-year-old has yet to enter the new year as long as open play goals are concerned. His last league goal was in a 3-0 win over West Ham in December last year. Across his last few Premier League matches, he has failed to find the net, and isn’t registering many shots on target.

When asked whether Haaland will start against Liverpool, following an impressive outing by teammate Omar Marmoush who scored twice when starting in midweek Carabao Cup semi-final; Pep, quoted by BBC Sport in his prematch conference, defended the former Borussia Dortmund man saying, “Erling is the best striker in the world. I don't know until tomorrow. But all I say is Erling is the best.”

This is the first time this is happening in the striker’s City career.

The slump is almost unheard of, given his typical rate of goals, but it’s exactly what fans are discussing ahead of the Liverpool trip.

And one of the narratives is his struggle when he is not in the opponents box. Though if you have watched his City career, you would agree he has grown beyond the initial struggles of dropping deep to link up play.

But some have now begun to point out that grey aspect of his game.

Erling Haaland does need to improve his game in other departments

Modern football demands ballplaying and versatility from players on every part of the pitch.  Yes, a striker primarily needs to put the ball at the back of the net. But scoring goals is only part of what makes a good striker.

Today’s football expects forwards to drop deep, link up play, and create space for teammates. Haaland, for all his brilliance in front of goal, sometimes struggles with this side of the game.

Fans have started to emphasise this as a weakness. It is not about him failing to score. His numbers are extraordinary. But his presence has to impact the team when he is not in the penalty area.

For a squad like Manchester City, where the emphasis is on controlling possession and breaking down well-drilled defenses, a striker who can combine finishing with intelligent movement is a non-negotiable.

Regardless, even a striker like Haaland can find himself affected by factors beyond finishing. City have been inconsistent this season. Add to that the new faces in the squad who  are still trying to understand each other.

Take Antoine Semenyo, who joined the club last month for example; he is already contributing, but the presence and integration of the former Bournemouth man in Guardiola’s system means a lot would change. And that can reduce the number of balls reaching Haaland.

There is also the void left by Kevin De Bruyne, whose vision and timing fed Haaland through balls and unlocked defenses. In past seasons, the Belgian’s assists were the backbone of City’s attack, and without him, even the best finisher has to work harder to get into the positions where he usually does well.

Other midfielders in the team are talented, yes, but they are still trying to sync with each other and with Haaland.

All of this adds up to what some might call a “drought,” though for a striker like Haaland, even a few matches without open-play goals feel more serious than it is.

The issue is about context, timing, and team chemistry. City are currently in a phase where all three are slightly off.