Erling Haaland, a standout for Manchester City, was held in check during the team’s derby loss to Manchester United, according to Pep Guardiola.
Haaland had a lackluster performance when the two rivals met again on Saturday after scoring a hat-trick in his first-ever Manchester derby back in October.
He made very little of an impact up front as Manchester City lost to their rivals 1-2. Guardiola is sure that the striker will adapt to their system despite acknowledging that the Norwegian has to be more effective, particularly when teams fall back and defend.
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Speaking to reporters Guardiola said: “At the moment we have that process because when teams are sat in their 18-yard box, it is more difficult but we have to find him a little bit more, yes. (Against United) he had enough touches but it’s true that when you are looking at areas and you have to look at him. But we will do it.”
Haaland has now gone three games without scoring, which, while not necessarily cause for concern, nevertheless constitutes a slump for a guy who netted 27 goals in his first 21 club outings.
On Thursday, Guardiola’s team plays Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match. A victory would help them close the distance between themselves and league leaders Arsenal, who now hold a commanding 10-point advantage.