It was a statement win for Arsenal on Sunday, as they delivered an emphatic 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium.
With this dominant performance, the Gunners showcased their attacking power and left City reeling.
Erling Haaland’s Struggles in Arsenal’s Dominance
Though Manchester City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, managed to score for his side, his overall performance left much to be desired.
Haaland’s involvement was minimal throughout the game, with the Norwegian only touching the ball six times in the first half.
His solitary moment of joy came when he headed in a goal to level the score early in the second half.
But Arsenal quickly regained the lead, with Thomas Partey finding the net just a minute later.
The Gunners then went on to seal their victory with goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri.
Thierry Henry Critiques Haaland’s Lack of Impact
After the match, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry weighed in on Haaland’s performance, expressing his disappointment with the striker’s limited involvement.
Despite Haaland’s goal, Henry pointed out that the City forward barely made an impact when his team wasn’t dominating possession.
Henry shared, “I wouldn’t have been able to cope with that lack of service; something would have happened.
I would have gone to get the ball, touch it back, or do something.”
The legendary forward questioned Haaland’s ability to perform under such circumstances, emphasizing that goal scorers still need to contribute in other ways when their team isn’t controlling the match.
Henry’s Doubts About Haaland’s Ballon d’Or Prospects
When asked if Haaland could win the Ballon d’Or playing in this manner, Henry noted that although there have been players in history known for simply scoring goals, they still had the ability to contribute more when needed.
He drew comparisons with Kylian Mbappé, challenging the notion that Haaland should be exempt from similar scrutiny.
“You have guys in history who were great goal scorers, but they still needed to hold the ball,” Henry explained.
The Need for Haaland to Adapt
Henry also called attention to a moment in the match when Haaland had the opportunity to make a run during a counterattack but chose not to.
“Even your strong point, your speed, you’re not utilizing that?” Henry questioned.
“We’ve seen Alexander Isak give Gabriel a hard time with his runs in behind. What happened to that?”
Henry lamented that the modern No. 9s seem to have lost that instinct to make runs and be more dynamic on the pitch, a trait that Haaland, despite his impressive goal-scoring record, failed to exhibit in this game.
A Tough Challenge for Haaland
In the end, Henry’s critique wasn’t a complete dismissal of Haaland’s abilities, but a call for improvement.
“We can’t challenge him on what he cannot do, but he’s supposed to do this well.
He didn’t,” Henry concluded, leaving the question open whether Haaland can adapt his game to perform consistently, even when his team isn’t in control.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how Haaland responds to these challenges and if he can adjust his approach to become more involved in games where City isn’t dominating possession.
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