Man City striker Erling Haaland is in a better place this season – Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland is primed to spearhead Manchester City’s pursuit of a fifth straight Premier League title as he is in a better place now than he has been since he first arrived at the club.

Haaland scored 38 goals in all competitions last season despite a spell out through injury as City secured a fourth straight Premier League title, having bagged 52 in his debut campaign to help Guardiola’s side win the treble.

The Norwegian has already scored four times in the opening two Premier League games of the season, bagging a hat-trick in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Ipswich.

“When he arrived from Dortmund he had a lot of problems with injuries and he struggled a little with that,” Guardiola said. “Last season he struggled with the success of the past. This season I feel he is better.

“I won’t say he will score 50 or 60 goals this season because that would be so difficult. But he is staying on the pitch after training sessions a bit more for crosses and finishing. I spoke with the physios and he doesn’t have any niggles when in the first season he had a lot.”

While many of his team-mates rested after playing at Euro 2024, Haaland enjoyed a full pre-season with City, and has started the campaign on the front foot.

“His professional focus is complete,” Guardiola said. “Every day in training and in every game it’s so demanding and he knows it. Every season it’s one more year in your body but he’s enjoying training, enjoying scoring goals and he has the mentality to be better and better.

“Always that never disappears. It’s not like ‘Okay, I’ve already done it all, it doesn’t matter’. That’s not him. This season it’s still there, I see it, I see that he wants to perform well and good and not just for me but for the team.”

City could be relying on Haaland even more this term after Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid, with the club opting not to sign a replacement after assessing their options.

Guardiola has repeated his preference for working with a small squad and believes he has enough depth despite the expanded European calendar.

“Some years you have to be more active in the transfer market, sometimes it isn’t necessary,” he said.

“I gave my opinion to the club, the club made their opinion and together that maybe in the future you have to do more. Now it is what it is, I’m confident with the team we have and it’s why we’ve decided to do what we have done.”

Last weekend saw Ilkay Gundogan make his second debut for City after returning from Barcelona, having spent one season in LaLiga.

City moved for their former captain at short notice once it was clear Barcelona needed to offload his salary, and Guardiola said they had not been in the market for another midfielder.

“I prefer to have players I trust at lot,” he said. “Maybe you have the numbers but you don’t rely a lot. It’s so difficult to not let them play. They have a good contract but they want to play.

“If you have a player who can play in three or four different positions, it’s fine. If it doesn’t work, we have the transfer window (in January) and maybe we can go there and nothing will be over. Every season flies more and more.

“I know the feeling of people saying (the squad is) weaker and you have to sign (someone). I don’t have that feeling. I like it, I love it. I like what the club has done for me as a manager in the transfer window.”