If the opponent is not Liverpool but one of the teams below, Guardiola will definitely let Haaland rest. But since this is Liverpool in a must-win, Haaland’s presence is so important.
The owner of 8 goals in the last 2 matches and beyond is 42 goals throughout the season, which is of course important. However, the groin injury encountered in the victory over Burnley made the Norwegian striker’s ability to play open.
“I talked and Haaland feels fine,” said Pep. “But we have to wait and see what happens. Life is full of risks at times like these, and we have to make decisions. The doctors, especially the players, will decide.”
In the worst case, if Haaland shakes his head, what does Pep think? At the moment, he is also losing Phil Foden and making his options in attack much more limited.
This season, there are only 8 games Haaland is absent. And every time his tall friend did not start, Julian Alvarez took the lead in attack. Alvarez is of course also the most reasonable solution at the moment, not only because he is the only true striker, but also because the Argentine striker is in stable form.
In 8 main matches without Haaland by his side, Alvarez scored 4 goals and contributed 3 assists, helping Man City win 6 and lose only 1 time. The only defeat was when Man City launched a sub-team to face Southampton in the League Cup.
Therefore, Man City can completely rest assured with Alvarez playing the highest. Remember, at the 2022 World Cup, Alvarez also shone in this role. Alvarez’s finishing ability is not bad and as long as he has the opportunity, he will make it. Therefore, what Pep needs to pay attention to here is the pair of wings Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez. Compared to Foden, these two are not as mutant, but in return they are experts in ball control, knowing how to build up the ball methodically.
Of course, when there is no Haaland owner, Pep will definitely give more finishing power to the two wings to cut into his middle. Alvarez’s task will be to move a lot, attract people, create space for teammates to take advantage of.
In fact, Pep still has another way to arrange the attack, which is to use the “virtual 9”. With this role, there is no need to fix anyone. In the match, De Bruyne, Gundogan or Bernardo Silva can all take over, then rotate the role, creating unpredictability in the gameplay.
