by Erling Haaland took out his frustrations on a cameraman when he saw Manchester City’s hopes suffer a blow in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Rodri’s equalizer rescued a point for the defending champions after a first-half goal from former striker Raheem Sterling. But City missed a lot of chances – they had 32 shots against Chelsea’s nine – and Haaland was guilty of some of the worst misses.
That frustration was evident after the final whistle as he pushed a Sky TV cameraman out of the way as they tried to film a post-match audio. Sky showed the incident on their social media channels, trying to point out the popular goalscorer.
But it could have been much worse had Rodri not turned up to preserve City’s record of not losing at the Etihad since November 2022. The Spaniard, who has not lost a game in City colors since Spurs won on 5 February 2023, believed that part. side lacking bravery in defeat.
“We weren’t great in the first half. We conceded another easy goal,” he said. “We have to defend better. They created almost nothing in the first half. We knew about their counter-attacks and fast players, but we have to defend the counter-attack better. From there, it’s always harder to come back.
“We tried in the second half. [We had more] spirit, we wanted the ball and we wanted to risk. We were afraid of the counter attack [in the first half]. You have to be brave.”
City were left to count the cost of their loss, the worst of which was no error from Haaland after 78 minutes. But after leading until the 83rd minute, Chelsea were also frustrated by their inability to win in the first half.
“We’re a bit disappointed because we won the game,” said midfielder Conor Gallagher.
“They were, in terms of possession, ahead of the game but I feel we had many chances to win the game. We’re disappointed to concede late, but happy with the point.”
Robots can malfunction: Haaland’s breakthrough day off
Erling Haaland is bringing out a new ice cream brand but there was no limit to the celebratory sweet treats after a frustrating afternoon.
In a week when the City striker was pictured fronting a campaign for ‘Haaland Cream’ in Norway, a flash of a TV camera after the final whistle summed up his dark mood when nothing went his way.
The unmarked header over the bar from the six-yard box after Kevin De Bruyne delivered the perfect cross had Etihad gasping in disbelief as Pep Guardiola held his head in his hands.
It was Haaland’s unhappy story.
Nine shots – one early in the second half Djordje Petrovic admittedly saved very well – and no goals.
For xG fans, Haaland set a new record without finding the net for a Premier League game this season of 1.71. For non-xG fans, he couldn’t beat a barn door with a banjo.
Haaland’s profligacy could have been more costly if Rodri had not managed to save a point for City but it was clear from the striker’s enthusiasm as he left the pitch that the responsibility he felt for two points fell.
Guardiola wouldn’t mind his body language but it was completely appropriate in the circumstances.
“We created a lot,” said the Manchester City manager grimly. “It’s good to have nine shots and the next time he’s going to score. I don’t blame that. It’s football. They are human beings.”
The human reminder is worth a lot. Haaland’s goalscoring record is so impressive that it’s easy to see him as a machine. Flesh and blood are perceptible though.
He has scored in just two of his last seven games for City. For him, that counts as a rut.
He looked, after his mid-season injury absence, as if he might be at his best in his final action against Everton last week, but this was a step backwards .
The 12th minute header from Julian Alvarez’s cross that went over Chelsea’s bar set the tone. Phil Foden’s mishit volley after the break offered more of the same.
If it was unlucky when Levi Colwill blocked a close-range effort, the botched header 12 minutes from time was no accident. It was almost as if he had too much freedom – a case of penalty area agoraphobia – as he steered the ball over the crossbar.
Haaland still has 16 goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season, which shows his threat, but it’s certainly one game he’ll be looking to forget in a hurry. After losing his grandmother at the beginning of the week, it had been a bad personal few days.
It looked, with Haaland off, as if Chelsea were the team to shut City down and end their 44-game scoring run at the Etihad until Rodri stepped up to save the day.
Chelsea’s defense must take credit. Without Thiago Silva, they led manfully against the champions.
If City had been awarded an injury-time penalty for a handball against Levi Colwill after a desperate late scramble it would have been the sweetest end to a fierce display on the road.
The Etihad is a place where hope usually dies for visiting teams but Colwill and 20-year-old Malo Gusto were outstanding.
It was a performance that was strong in organization and heart – something that hasn’t always been the case for Chelsea this season.
Unsurprisingly, their manager Mauricio Pochettino was vocal afterwards.
“The spirit we showed today was huge,” said Pochettino. “We will reach the level we hope for one day. It’s never easy to play against the best team in the world and I was delighted with the character and personality we showed.”
“It was a very important day to show that we are improving. We need these games.”
Haaland will be back on the horse against Brentford in midweek. Will there be a hangover from this?
It is possible but more likely that Haaland will be taking out his frustrations with Viking revenge on the vulnerable Bees.
A dam is ready to burst and someone, somewhere has to deal with it.
