Even though he scores a lot of goals, Manchester City plays better when Erling Haaland is not on the team. According to talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara, and the statistics support his claim, there might be some truth to this.
Haaland joined the team that were the treble winners. Since then, he’s scored an amazing 83 goals in 92 games in just two seasons.
He wasn’t there when City won 4-0 against Brighton on Thursday. After seeing how well City played, O’Hara asked his Sports Bar co-host Jason Cundy if they’re actually better when Haaland isn’t playing.
Current Premier League Standings
Cundy said, “They’re different, I wouldn’t say better, just different,” But O’Hara disagreed, saying,
“They are better, they win. They score and they’re free-flowing and listen, it is not disrespect to Haaland because he’s an unbelievable player, we know that. But Manchester City, right now, you have to look at the facts, they’re a better side without him.”
Statistical Analysis: Haaland’s Impact on Manchester City’s Performance
The numbers back up this argument, even though Haaland is considered one of the top players globally. In the 61 Premier League matches he’s been in, City won 41, drew 11, and lost seven. Which gives them a win rate of 70.5%. But when he’s not playing, they’ve won eight out of ten games, increasing their win rate to 80%.
Their goal-scoring record is better on average when Haaland doesn’t play – they score 2.5 goals compared to 2.4 when he’s on the team. Additionally, when Haaland isn’t playing, City shoot more per game, averaging 19.3 shots compared to 16.7 when he’s on the field.
Manchester City’s Title Chase
Even though there’s a big gap in the number of games, it shows that the champions can still win even when Haaland isn’t playing. Haaland might not score as many goals as last year’s 36. However, he currently shares the top spot with Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. Both have scored 20 goals this season. With five games left, he still has a chance to contribute more to the team as they aim for a fourth consecutive Premier League title. City are in second place, just one point behind Arsenal. If they win their game in hand, they’ll move into the lead.
As featured on ManCityNews.com
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