When Erling Haaland smashed 36 goals in his debut Premier League season, it felt like we were witnessing a force of nature, a modern-day juggernaut who could bend defences to his will. By the time the confetti fell on Manchester City’s historic treble, Haaland was not just City’s golden boy but the face of European football’s next era.
Fast forward to the 2024/25 season, and something feels slightly off. He’s still scoring, sure, 21 Premier League goals and 30 across all competitions are numbers most strikers would dream of. But with Haaland, the bar is set far higher. So, has he underperformed? It depends on how you define “performance” and what you choose to ignore.
Still Scoring, but Less Scary?
Let’s get this out of the way first: Haaland hasn’t been bad in the Premier League this season. But he also hasn’t been “that“ Haaland. You know, the one who had pundits scrambling for new adjectives weekly. The goal count is solid, but it’s dipped. And more importantly, the fear factor seems to have faded for a while, not completely, but enough to give defenders more hope.
Earlier in the season, he went through a rare five-game drought in the league. For most strikers, that’s just football. For Haaland, it’s headline news. His movement in the box still creates space, but the ruthlessness, the ruthless finishing that defined his early City days, has felt patchy.
Injuries and Rust
One big reason for that? He picked up the ankle injury in March. Haaland missed key fixtures, including City’s tricky Champions League ties and a few crunch Premier League games. It wasn’t just the time out, but the rust he showed upon return. In a frustrating 0-0 draw against Southampton, he looked off the pace, disconnected from the rhythm of City’s attack.
The cracks show more clearly when he’s not fully fit, mainly because his game doesn’t rely on intricate link-up or drifting between lines. He’s a finisher. It can be a long night if he’s not getting service or his touch is slightly off. He’s not a Sergio Aguero who can build attacks on his own.
Guardiola’s Dilemma
Pep Guardiola’s tactical evolution since Haaland’s arrival has been fascinating and occasionally problematic. There’s no denying that Haaland changes the way City plays. His presence forces the ball forward more directly, reducing the free-flowing, position-swapping chaos that made City so tricky to pin down.
Some fans and pundits have whispered it for months: Does City look better without Haaland? It’s not a wild idea, just look at how they clicked during his injury spell last season. But let’s be fair, this isn’t about better or worse. It’s about different. Guardiola has spent the season balancing Haaland’s raw power and the team’s intricate style. And that’s no easy task.
Missing KDB Hurts
Let’s also consider the service. Kevin De Bruyne, City’s architect-in-chief, missed a massive chunk of the season. Without him, Haaland’s supply line was, at best, inconsistent. Phil Foden has been electric, but he’s more of a scorer than a supplier.
Bernardo Silva is class, but not always in the final third, and has significantly regressed. The electric wing play of Jeremy Doku or Savinho does bring a lot of flair, but it doesn’t bring De Bruyne’s vision or timing. Without that perfect pass weight or that early cross into space, Haaland has often looked like a sports car without a driver: fast, furious, but stranded.
The Expectation Problem
Perhaps the biggest issue with Haaland’s season is not his actual performance but the expectations surrounding it. The man scored so many goals so quickly that even a slight dip feels like failure. In truth, he’s operating at a high level, just not a historic one. The football world has a short memory and a long list of demands.
There’s also a tactical trade-off that fans are starting to notice. When Haaland plays, City sometimes loses a bit of midfield control. Opponents find ways to hurt City in transition when he doesn’t track back or press with the same intensity as others. It’s subtle, but those little gaps matter in a league as unforgiving as this.
Final Thoughts
It depends on how you look at it. If you compare Haaland to every other striker in Europe, then no, he’s still elite. If you compare him to peak Haaland, there’s been a dip. But football isn’t always about numbers. It’s about context. Injuries, tactical shifts, missing teammates, and the mental strain of constantly being expected to perform at an outrageous level all play a role. Erling Haaland hasn’t been bad this season. He hasn’t even been average. But he has looked more human. And maybe that’s what surprises us most.
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