City's recent trip to the London Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 draw, perfectly illustrated the tactical suffocation Haaland is currently enduring. Isolated at the top of the pitch, he found himself constantly swarmed by a disciplined low block, struggling to find the pockets of space he usually thrives in.
"Do you know how many central defenders were around him today? 200 million," Guardiola said after the game. "Do you know how many holding midfielders? It is the most difficult position on the planet, so for that we have to deliver with wingers to put it there. Always we try. It’s not easy and sometimes we have periods and we have to accept it.”