Erling Haalan, set an undesired xG record on an evening that was exceptionally wasteful for the usually clinical Norwegian.
In the Premier League title contest, Pep Guardiola’s team lost two points after being held to a 1-1 draw by a tenacious Chelsea team.
Raheem Sterling opened the score against his former club with a tidy finish in the first half after Chelsea looked dangerous on the break.
As usual, City had the majority of the ball but found it difficult to penetrate a strong Chelsea defence, and when they did have opportunities, their strikers were unable to take advantage of them.
Erling Haaland actually beat the record for the highest xG [anticipated goals] in a Premier League game this season without scoring [1.71], despite having 16 goals in the league so far this season.
The 23-year-old took nine shots overall, three of which were good opportunities.
And it turns out that Darwin Nunez, a forward for Liverpool, was the last individual to record an awful xG near Haaland’s this season. Nunez scored 1.61 anticipated goals in 64 minutes against Newcastle on January 1.
Haaland had a forgettable evening, but City manager Pep Guardiola believes his number nine will recover.
“It’s good to have nine shots and next time he’s going to score,” he said. “I was a football player for 11 years and scored 11 goals. What stats! One goal a season. I’m not a proper man to give advice to strikers.
“We create the chances, he had the chances and next time he’s going to score. I don’t blame him. It’s football, it’s human beings.”
In addition, Daniel Sturridge, a pundit for Sky Sports on Saturday, commented on Haaland’s poor showing.
He said: “Of course, he’s going to analyse his game when he goes home and say ‘what could I have done better?’
“A player at his level, who goes onto the pitch with an expectation of scoring goals, he’s going to be going home feeling down about himself, that he could have been the person who won the game for his team today.
“But it’s the life of a striker. You have these type of days where nothing goes right for you.”
Sturridge added: “You know your job is to provide the goals. Haaland has that weight on his shoulders. Although the goals are spread around he knows what he was brought here for and we know what his talent level is and his personal expectations are.”
