Erling Haaland 'annoys' FPL players because of Guardiola

Striker Erling Haaland humorously remarked that Fantasy Premier League (FPL) participants would be "mad" at Pep Guardiola after he was taken off the pitch even though he could have completed a hat-trick in Man City's 3-1 victory against Bournemouth.

Against Bournemouth, Erling Haaland regained his lethal form with two goals in the first half, bringing his season tally to 26. Approaching the milestone of 100 Premier League goals (currently at 98), the Norwegian forward was unexpectedly substituted for Omar Marmoush in the final minutes.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Haaland expressed satisfaction with Man City's three points and praised his new teammate Ryan Cherki: “It’s great that the whole team could respond strongly after a disappointing away loss last weekend. Today, everyone at Man City played really well. Everyone knows Rayan (Cherki) has special qualities, and against Bournemouth, he provided two excellent assists for me.

Substituted just as I was about to score a hat-trick? Maybe you should ask the coach! I think many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players will be very angry about me being taken off. But in the end, it’s the coach’s decision. I didn’t score in the previous game, so today I just wanted to help the team win. Whether scoring, acting as a decoy, or doing anything else, as long as the team wins, I’m happy.”

Discussing Haaland’s importance, former goalkeeper Shay Given believes there’s no concern if the Norwegian striker continues to carry the goal-scoring burden alone, especially since few players share that responsibility: “As long as they keep him healthy, everything is fine. Looking at these numbers, you’d think they’d be even more impressive if Haaland played the full 90 minutes. But I understand why Pep subbed him off; he wants to protect his key striker for the next match. No one wants to lose their most important player.”

After the match, coach Pep Guardiola openly admired Bournemouth: “Bournemouth is one of those teams that forces us to perform at our best to get good results. Today, we found our rhythm again and played better in many aspects.”

Related articles

Pep Guardiola: 'Haaland is on par with Messi and Ronaldo' Coach Pep Guardiola compared Erling Haaland’s level to the legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after Man City’s win over Bournemouth. See more