Haaland’s Absence and Guehi’s Debut: A Turning Point for Manchester City

Erling Haaland has not been absent from a Manchester City lineup since he started on the bench against Bayer Leverkusen on November 25. He has not missed an entire match since the Carabao Cup fixture against Swansea on October 29. Following City’s semi-final first leg against Newcastle, Pep Guardiola acknowledged that Haaland was “exhausted.” The Norwegian striker struggled significantly during the team’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester United and failed to convert several opportunities in the unexpected 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

In response to these challenges, Guardiola has opted to rest his top scorer by excluding him from the squad against Wolves, currently at the bottom of the Premier League table. He explained to Sky Sports, “There are a lot of games. I want to, a little bit, clean his mind, his body. The selection is always made because I believe that for today it is the best.”

Haaland has openly addressed his recent struggles and City’s overall decline in form following the defeat in Norway. He stated, “I don’t have the answers. I take full responsibility for not being able to score the goals I should. I apologize to everyone; every single Manchester City supporter and every supporter that traveled today, because in the end, it’s embarrassing. Bodo played some incredible football, and in the end, it’s deserved. Honestly, I don’t know what to say because I don’t have the answers, and what I can say is sorry.”

In a separate development, City’s latest signing, Marc Guehi, made his debut against Wolves after joining from Crystal Palace for £20 million. He is expected to partner with Abdukodir Khusanov and bring much-needed leadership and experience to a defense that has been significantly impacted by injuries to key players like John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, and Ruben Dias.

Guehi expressed his excitement about joining Guardiola’s squad, saying, “This move feels like the culmination of all the hard work I have put into my career. I am now at the best club in England and part of an unbelievable squad. It feels good to be able to say that. I want to grow as a player and a person, and I know that at this club, that will happen. I love football – it has given me so much for so long – and to be able to continue my development at Manchester City is a really special moment for me and my family. I absolutely cannot wait to get started. I want to meet my teammates, train hard, understand what the manager expects of me, and then show the City fans what I can do.”