This suited Haaland massively, but attacking in a quicker fashion has implications for how the team defends. By attacking quickly, teams are more likely to lose the ball and find themselves with fewer players behind the ball, before getting counter-attacked themselves.
Guardiola spoke on this version of City, subtly hinting at wanting to reintroduce a more measured approach in line with his previously successful sides, saying: “I love [how much we run], last season we didn’t have that. But it’s not enough, we have to play better [so] we could run less,” after their 3-0 win against West Ham in December.
This appears to have been the case as the season has progressed. By playing in a more controlled way, in theory, City would both concede fewer counter-attacks whilst also facing more low-block.
However, recent injuries to many City players have impacted their ability to perform these tactics both technically and physically.
What does this mean for Haaland?
The loss of ball-playing defenders reduces how quickly City can get into dangerous positions. There are fewer passes played from deep for Haaland to run on to. There is also a decrease in City’s ability to pin teams in.
Gvardiol ranks second for both line-breaking passes (11.9) and progressive carries (11.7) per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. Without him, City are often stuck in between the two situations Haaland has shown quality against.
If City can push teams back, Haaland usually has two answers.
The first is that Haaland will make a darting run in the box before stopping or slowing down. The defenders around him will continue moving towards their own goal, often in response to a winger’s movement. A cut-back then finds Haaland in open space to score from.
Doku’s ability to push defences back before pulling the ball back into space in front of defences has been a method of chance creation Haaland has missed, with the Belgian yet to find the same form he showed at the start of the season. Foden and Nico O’Reilly as natural left footers have shown that same quality at times too.