After some flat performances earlier in the season, Manchester City are finally looking like their old selves again.
And manager Pep Guardiola says he can feel the difference, admitting after City’s 3-1 win over the Cherries: “The energy we didn’t have, we have.”
That renewed energy is built around Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian striker scoring again to make it 13 goals in 10 Premier League appearances this term.
Up there with the greats
Guardiola didn’t hold back when asked about his star forward.
“It’s like when you play with [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, their influence is so big… You see the numbers of that guy [Haaland]? Of course he’s that level,” Guardiola said.
“The difference is Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like ‘I am going to score’.
“He has that hunger. It’s top. I’ve said many times how incredibly coachable and manageable he is.”
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Growing dependence on one man
Yet, even with all the praise, there’s another side to the story.
City have scored 20 league goals so far, with 13 of them coming via Haaland.
It’s not the first time City have relied on one player to make the difference, but this feels more extreme – and Guardiola knows others have to step up.
“Of course, we need the goals from Phil [Foden], Tijjani [Reijnders], and the other ones,” the Catalan explained.
The positive for City is that Haaland is back to his best and the team looks much sharper in attack, although maintaining his fitness will be key moving forward.
“He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal,” Guardiola added.
“Without him, it would be tough to be honest, but we are lucky that Omar [Marmoush] is back and we have fit players. It’s good.”
Guardiola’s side is second in the table and playing with confidence again, but for all the talk about energy and momentum, their season could still depend on one man’s fitness.
Right now, Haaland looks unstoppable. The question is what happens if he slows down.
City certainly have the talent to share the load, and they’ll need to prove it in the coming weeks if they want to stay in the title fight.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino