Manchester City’s impressive start to the season has been fueled largely by Erling Haaland, but Pep Guardiola is clear: the team cannot rely solely on their prolific striker if they want to make a real impact this campaign.

Haaland’s Goal-Scoring Streak Continues

Haaland’s latest brace against Everton lifted his Premier League tally to an astonishing 11 goals in just eight games.

His consistency is remarkable — he has scored in each of his last 11 matches for club and country, already outscoring 12 Premier League teams in total.

Yet, Guardiola’s focus isn’t just on the Norwegian forward’s heroics.

The Need for Others to Step Up

Interestingly, Burnley’s Maxime Esteve’s two own goals in City’s 5-1 victory last month theoretically put him second in Guardiola’s scoring chart this season.

Beyond that, several players — Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Matheus Nunes — have managed just one goal apiece, while wingers Savinho, Jeremy Doku, and Oscar Bobb are still searching for their first.

Omar Marmoush is gradually returning from injury, adding to the mix of underutilized options.

“We cannot do good things with just Erling,” Guardiola said bluntly. “Our other players have to make a step up.

The chances we create are so clear. They have to score at that level.”

Pressing for More Goals From the Squad

When asked if the lack of shared scoring responsibility was a concern, Guardiola didn’t mince words. “Yeah, we have to score more.

If we don’t create it’s fine, but when we create, we have to score,” he explained. “They know it. We talk about it for a long time.

In the training sessions they are good at finishing, so they have to do it. I don’t have doubts that when it is unlocked, players will score.”

Even Haaland Has Limits

While Haaland has been sensational, Guardiola made it clear that even the striker has his limits.

“What can I say? I’m really p***** off because he could’ve scored four or five. Jokes aside, we cannot rely completely on him,” the City boss admitted.

The message is clear: for Manchester City to thrive this season, goals must come from across the squad, not just their record-breaking frontman.