Overview
- Manchester City fell 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, as Erling Haaland was subdued and substituted late after limited impact.
- Haaland has only one goal in his last seven matches, a penalty against Brighton, extending an open‑play drought dating back to before Christmas.
- Pep Guardiola accused referees of penalizing Haaland disproportionately at set‑pieces, repeating that “he’ll be back” despite recent struggles.
- A Carabao Cup semi-final incident remains a flashpoint after a roughly five‑and‑a‑half‑minute VAR review judged Haaland offside and interfering before Antoine Semenyo’s strike was ruled out.
- Analysts note Haaland’s heavy workload — reported at 2,478 minutes — and argue City’s reliance on him has coincided with a dip in results, including a four‑match league winless run reported this month.