Manchester City’s star, Erling Haaland, has disclosed that Pep Guardiola once delivered a stern message, vowing to be relentless in training if Haaland lacked focus.

Guardiola made this statement even before Haaland had committed to joining Manchester City, when the Norwegian sensation was deliberating over his future.

With a staggering 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, Haaland had captured the attention of several top European clubs.

Ultimately, Haaland chose to make the move to Manchester City for £51.2 million, as the club activated the release clause in his Dortmund contract.

Since his arrival, the 23-year-old has been nothing short of extraordinary, netting 52 goals in 53 matches last season, contributing to City’s triumphs in the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup.

However, Haaland now confesses that Guardiola had cautioned him about the rigorous demands he would face if he decided to sign with the club.

Haaland shared, “There is so much! He demands a lot in training.”

“When I spoke with him before I signed here he said ‘I don’t care what you do, do whatever you want. But when you have me on the (training) pitch you have to be focused. If not, I will smash you!'”

Despite a minor setback last week with losses against Newcastle and Wolves, Manchester City, fresh from their treble-winning season, has begun the current season on a strong note.

Guardiola’s team got back on track with a victory over RB Leipzig on Wednesday, thanks to late goals from Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku.

Discussing the secret behind Manchester City’s success, Haaland emphasized the significance of focus and the team’s training regimen. “That’s really how he is and City are as a team and as a club. It’s why they have been so successful,” Haaland remarked.

He elaborated further, highlighting the daily pressure that the club, the team, and individual players face.

However, Haaland stressed the importance of concentrating during the one-hour training sessions and then relaxing for the remainder of the day, keeping football out of mind.

“The pressure is there. Look at the pressure we have every single day as a club, as a team, as individuals.But you must focus the one hour we have in training every day and the rest of the day relax, don’t think of football, don’t think of anything.”

“I think that’s a big part of why it’s so successful here with all the staff. After training – don’t think of football anymore. You think and you develop on the pitch. When you are on the pitch – you focus. That is what Pep demands.”

Erling Haaland

This season he played in total 7 times for 620 minutes for Premier League.

Erling Haaland scored 7 goals for Manchester City. He procured one assist. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 2nd in Premier League. In the last match Manchester City won 3-1 against RB Leipzig. The next match in Premier League will be against Arsenal.

Manchester City performance and stats

Manchester City is currently 2nd in the Premier League with 18 points.

In the last 7 games, it has won 6 times and lost once. In its last match, Manchester City lost 2-1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 17 goals and conceding 5.​

Manchester City will play the next match in Premier League against Arsenal on Sunday 8th of October in London. The prediction is Manchester City winning the match.​

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