Erling Haaland has been the star of Manchester City since arriving at the Etihad four years ago. 154 goals in 189 matches tell much of the story and are impressive numbers. However, not all records favor the Norwegian giant, and perhaps the most glaring is his performance in finals. After winning the League Cup this Sunday against Arsenal, the player has played in nine finals for City and won five – a collective record much better than his individual one, as in those 10 matches, Haaland has failed to score… in all of them. He has not contributed with goals or assists. His debut in a final for City also marked his debut at the club: 90 minutes on the field and a 1-3 loss in the English Super Cup to Liverpool. At the end of the 2022/23 season, he had two finals won, playing 90 minutes, but with no direct influence on the result: 2-1 against Manchester United in the FA Cup and 1-0 against Inter in the Champions League. The following season started with another defeat in the English Super Cup to Arsenal, followed by a victory against Sevilla in the European Super Cup: a total of 183 minutes on the field for Haaland. By the end of that season, he had another 90 minutes without scoring in the loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup. The 2024/25 season also began with the English Super Cup – a victory against Manchester United – and another blank performance. The end of the season was bittersweet: a loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. City even had a penalty in that match, but Haaland did not take it, and Omar Marmoush ended up missing it. Thus, after this Sunday, Haaland's individual drought in finals has reached a new chapter. Until the end of this season, he will only have the chance to break this streak in the FA Cup, but to reach the final, the team must first overcome Liverpool in the quarter-finals.
Erling Haaland Manchester City remains central to this story.
Erling Haaland Manchester City remains central to this story.
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