Erling Haaland has issued a warning to Arsenal and other title rivals, insisting he is about to deliver the performances 'everyone deserves and expects' after acknowledging his recent form has not been up to standard. The Manchester City striker scored the winner in Sunday's 2-1 victory at Anfield, his first goal from open play in nine league games, and rejected suggestions that fatigue was behind his dip.
Haaland now has 21 Premier League goals this season, but admitted he has not been sharp enough since the start of the year. 'I haven't scored enough goals since the start of this year, you can say, and I know that I need to improve,' he said. 'I know I need to be more sharp, better at all of this and this is something that I have to work on.'
The Norwegian striker dismissed tiredness as a factor, despite a heavy workload for club and country, including the Africa Cup of Nations absence of teammate Omar Marmoush. 'I don't think there's any excuse. Fatigue is a lot in the head. It's a lot of games. Look at the schedule, it's not easy, and for me, it's about staying fit, don't get injured. That's the most important thing,' Haaland added.
His late intervention at Anfield helped City secure their first win at Liverpool since 2003, moving them back into title contention. With Arsenal leading the table, Haaland's warning suggests he is ready to step up in the final stretch of the campaign.
