Erling Haaland says he has “not been good enough” after Manchester City’s dire run of form continued with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime.
The loss was City’s ninth in their last 12 games in all competitions and leaves them sixth in the Premier League table, nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Phil Foden grabbed a consolation in stoppage time after goals in each half from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers had put the hosts in command, while Haaland failed to find the back of the net for the fourth consecutive game in all competitions.
The Norwegian striker is the top flight’s joint-top scorer — alongside Mohamed Salah — but 10 of his 13 goals came in the first five games of the campaign, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United in August.
His latest blank at Villa Park means he has managed just one goal in his last six Premier League outings and failed to register a shot on target for the second week running.
“I haven’t been doing things good enough,” Haaland told TNT Sports at full time. “I haven’t been scoring my chances so I have to do better. It’s a lot on me and I haven’t been good enough.”
The 24-year-old said City manager Pep Guardiola, who has won just one game since signing a two-year contract extension with the club in November, retains the full support of the dressing room.
“We still believe in him and we have to work harder than ever right now,” he said.
“He won the Premier League six times in seven years, we will never forgot that.
“He will find the solutions, he’s been doing that every single year except one for the last seven years.”
City return to action at Everton on Boxing Day before facing Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City three days later.
(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
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