Jamie Carragher has suggested that Erling Haaland might have ‘picked the wrong club’ after failing to score in Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham.
Haaland is the leading scorer in the Premier League this season and has had a record-breaking start to the campaign, but cut a frustrated figure as City’s title hopes suffered a setback at Spurs on Sunday.
The 22-year-old had no touches inside the Spurs penalty area and failed to have a shot in a Premier League game for the first time.
He has not scored in four away games since the turn of the new year and Carragher believes that City – despite Haaland’s brilliant goal record so far this season – are not getting the very best from the Norwegian.
“I’ve felt this season when he’s scored his goals, I think we’ve only seen 60 per cent of Haaland. You think of that goal he scored on the first game of the season against West Ham, the space in behind, he makes that run,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“I know that’s not there that often with the way City play. He’s come from a league and Borussia Dortmund where it’s a counter-attacking league and it’s end to end and you see that blistering pace. You don’t see it. He may have actually picked the wrong club to actually get the best out of him.
“We’re not seeing everything of Haaland and Manchester City now, not because of Haaland, you can say they’re a different team, but they’ve scored the exact same amount of goals.
“He’s scored 25 Premier League goals. Man City as a team have still scored the same amount of goals, but they’ve conceded more and it’s far easier to counter-attack them as well.
“They’re a different team and a lesser team with Haaland in the team, but again it’s not his fault. City as a team will not play end to end football, it’s not Guardiola’s way. His players don’t have the energy or the power or the pace to play end to end.
“Haaland will still score 25 league goals and a lot of those are coming across and he’s putting it in. But we’re not seeing the full package of what this player can do because of the team that he’s gone to.”
