Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has pointed to Erling Haaland as the key figure his squad is missing following their 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham United on Saturday.
Haaland was unable to find the net as City dropped two crucial points at the London Stadium.
The Norwegian striker has managed only a single goal in his previous eight appearances for the club.
This result leaves Manchester City trailing Arsenal by nine points in the Premier League standings, though they still have a game in hand.
During his post-match interview, Guardiola acknowledged that the team feels Haaland’s absence due to his recent dip in scoring.
“The lack of goals, we miss him (Erling Haaland) of course,” Guardiola said.
“I always believe it’s the connections and many things that create good interactions. But Erling, we need his goals.
“We need to create more, like in the (first half), he has three chances there. We have to create that threat that we sometimes didn’t have. He will be back,” he said.
Despite the recent dry spell, Haaland continues to lead the Premier League scoring charts this season with 22 goals.
