Pep Guardiola wants Erling Haaland to show the same level of combativity he displayed in the weekend draw with Everton when he takes on Chelsea tonight.
Haaland’s Manchester City side visit Stamford Bridge looking to improve upon a run that has brought just four points from their last three league games.
In the draw with struggling Everton, the free-scoring Norwegian was on the receiving end of some physical attention from the opposition, provoking a response, and he was even cautioned for a bad foul on the full back Vitalii Mykolenko.
That was Haaland’s third yellow card in his last four league games but Guardiola insists he wants his 27-goal forward to continue in that fashion.
“I like it, the extra limit,” said Guardiola. “His behaviour, you always have to use your head. But play with this passion. That is necessary. I prefer that than to being flat.
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“Strikers have to handle tough, tough central defenders. Tomorrow he’ll have a battle with [Kalidou] Koulibaly and Thiago Silva. Always it’s a big challenge and that’s why the Premier League is so special.”
However, the City manager is aware that discipline, like other parts of his game, is just one area in which the 22-year-old still has room for improvement.
“I’ve said many times, a lot of things can improve,” he said. “As much as he scores goals, it’s okay, but he still has a margin to improve many things. Of course, he’s young and he will be better in the future.”
Haaland’s 21 league goals, in just 14 starts, will doubtless be key if City are to catch leaders Arsenal, who hold an eight-point lead over Guardiola’s side.
And the City manager claims his friend, former assistant and now manager of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, has the added advantage of not having the same degree of expectation that is placed on City’s shoulders.
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“The advantage of Arsenal and Manchester United right now is neither have to win the Premier League by 20 points ahead in November like Man City has to — and this is sometimes a big problem.
“Maybe we play s**t tomorrow but the feeling is good. What I want to see is us fight, don’t give up, not now, until the last chance, until the last drop of water we can fight to win the Premier League and the moment we are not able to win the Premier League we have to be ready to compete next season. This is when teams are really good.”
Tuesday’s draw with Newcastle United ended a run of five consecutive league victories for Arsenal, but still means they have collected 29 points out of the last available 33.
“They have an average that they are going to do 100, or more than 100 points,” added Guardiola.
“If they continue that way, we will not catch them. So we have to be almost perfect from here until the end of the season. We will see what happens.”
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Chelsea v Man City
Tonight, 8pm
Sky Sports
