Pep Guardiola needs to see his other attackers step up after Erling Haaland suffered a serious ankle injury.
The Norway international was forced off during the FA Cup win over Bournemouth on Sunday after landing awkwardly on his ankle, and is now set to spend around seven weeks on the sidelines.
Nobody at Manchester City comes close to his tally of 21 Premier League goals this season – Phil Foden is the nearest on seven goals – so with a place in the top four still not guaranteed, the Citizens need others to deliver the goods.
Omar Marmoush is the man most are looking to for goals in the absence of Erling Haaland after his £59m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January – and Micah Richards has now shared what the Egyptian actually does “better” than his Norwegian colleague.
Micah Richards claims Omar Marmoush is better than Erling Haaland at linking play and running in behind
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, the man who made 245 appearances for Manchester City admitted he feels the Egypt international links play and runs in behind more effectively than Haaland.
Richards said: “Yeah, he’s different. He can run in behind. I think sometimes when you watch Man City play, they can be quite frustrating because everyone wants the ball to feet. He’s better at linking up the play and he can run in behind.
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“I think people need to remember, Man City won the league without Haaland, you know. They can still win games without Haaland.”
Marmoush’s winner against Bournemouth on Sunday was a prime example of his clever movement, ghosting into a small portion of space and poking the ball beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga, before opposition defenders even knew what had happened.
Omar Marmoush with the finish for @ManCity 🇪🇬
He's been on the pitch for less than 2 minutes 🤯#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/uArYUsexFy
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 30, 2025
How does Omar Marmoush fare as the central striker?
The 26-year-old has played on the left flank five times this season, and has also made six appearances as an attacking midfielder, so he is slightly more versatile than Haaland.
However – fortunately for Guardiola – Marmoush, who fans are backing to shine without Haaland, seems most effective in the centre.
Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
The man from Cairo has netted 17 goals in 24 games as a central striker so far this season, while also impressively recording 11 assists.
So, while Marmoush – who Ian Wright admires – may lack the physicality of Haaland, he could provide a new dimension to this Manchester City side with his clever movement and link up play.