Erling Haaland couldn't hide his true feelings at full-time as Manchester City were held to a draw with Brighton in the Premier League.
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Erling Haaland of Manchester City looks dejected after the Premier League match between City and Brighton
A frustrated Erling Haaland at full time of Manchester City's draw with Brighton
Erling Haaland turned back to Manchester City fans in the South Stand after his goal on Saturday for a second celebration. At full-time, he saluted them before marching straight down the tunnel.
It was yet another afternoon where frustration was the overriding emotion for City's striker. Another goal broke another record, and there were signs of life in a promising new partnership.
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However there were countless times where Haaland's runs went ignored, crosses went unsent and chances were wasted. He cannot do it all on his own.
Let's start with the positives. Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements. He started the move that led to the penalty he converted, waiting for the run of Marmoush to get into the area, who attracted the foul, and Haaland converted the subsequent spot kick. Marmoush was first to celebrate with him.
City's big win over Newcastle a month ago saw Marmoush get a hat-trick in a game where Haaland was relatively quiet when it came to headline actions. Yet Haaland's movement and relationship with Marmoush allowed the Egyptian the space to take advantage of the attention he got from the defenders. Saturday's clash with Brighton was a similar story.
It's a partnership where both appear on the same page, Marmoush playing to Haaland's strengths a little like Julian Alvarez used to. The pair timed their runs in tandem to stretch the Brighton defence - had the supply been better it might have resulted in more goals. When Ilkay Gundogan won the ball in the middle, Haaland peeled off and Marmoush had space, rifling in a lovely strike to give each forward partner a goal each.
One attack saw Gundogan get space on the left, Marmoush ran to the near post, and Haaland was suddenly left unmarked on the edge of the area. He blazed over on the volley, yet it was space he's not had for weeks. Another move saw Haaland knock a long ball down for his number seven to start a move.
City's best three attacking performances recently have come when Marmoush has started behind Haaland - Newcastle, Tottenham and now Brighton. In those three games, the pair have six goals between them.
But there remain some teething problems with Marmoush - sometimes he went for the same ball as Haaland. Sometimes he was too far away. But the very fact he was around the same area and offering a second option for the midfield to aim for is progress on the static attack that has been too often on show this season.
So there were enough moments to suggest the Haaland-Marmoush partnership could be the way forward for Guardiola. And there were plenty more to remind the manager that his new-look attack needs more time and more patience. As much as Guardiola likes the Jeremy Doku and Savinho wing partnership, Savinho's afternoon was ended early to avoid a red card and Doku was all industry and no end product.
At full-time, Haaland quickly gave his shirt away, clapped the South Stand, and marched down the tunnel as the first City player into the dressing room. When he does that, it's a clear sign of his frustration at how the afternoon has gone.
Even with a goal to his name, Haaland is not happy unless City are winning. He has carried the weight of their struggles this season so it's no wonder that spills into frustration at times.