Guardiola Praises Haaland’s Performance as Star Returns Early

Pep Guardiola has expressed his admiration for Erling Haaland’s impressive performance after the Manchester City striker returned early from international duty with Norway. The 25-year-old scored a hat-trick in Norway’s convincing 5-0 victory over Israel, despite missing a penalty. This achievement brought Haaland’s total for the season to 21 goals across club and country, while also elevating his international tally to 51 goals in just 46 matches.

Following the match against Israel, Haaland was unexpectedly sent home from the international camp before Norway’s subsequent game against New Zealand. The friendly, which ended in a 1-1 draw, featured a more experimental lineup from head coach Stale Solbakken. Finn Surman scored first for New Zealand, but Antonio Nusa equalized for Norway shortly after the hour mark.

Norway’s early decision to release Haaland and other players was highlighted by a statement from the Norwegian Football Association. It explained, “Players with particularly tight match schedules are returning home: Alexander Sorloth, Julian Ryerson, Erling Braut Haaland and Fredrik Bjorkan.” The message also noted that Felix Horn Myhre departed due to an ankle injury.

Guardiola expressed his relief that Haaland was given this rare opportunity for rest and recovery, especially with a match against Everton approaching at the Etihad Stadium on September 30, 2023. In discussing Haaland’s performance, Guardiola stated, “I think it is [the best he has seen Haaland]. His influence feels really good, performance level is outstanding.”

He acknowledged the challenges of maintaining such high performance levels, noting, “What I say is when he’s going to drop, because it’s impossible to sustain that, I will be there, we will be there.” Guardiola emphasized the importance of supporting the player during less favorable moments.

Furthermore, Guardiola recognized the significance of Norway potentially qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, remarking, “It’s really good because Norway have not been in those big competitions for a long time, and for him and Norway to go to the States would be really nice and really important.”

As Manchester City prepares for their next match, they will be without midfielder Rodri, who is currently being managed after a long-term injury. Meanwhile, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are nearing their returns to fitness.