Erling Haaland admitted that winning the FA Cup will not cover over Man City's woeful season with Pep Guardiola's side falling well below the lofty expectations they have set for themselves
10:50, 16 May 2025
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has given a blunt verdict on Manchester City's season(Image: Getty Images)
Erling Haaland insists winning the FA Cup will not make up for Manchester City's shambolic season - as he pinpointed a basic reason why the side have failed this year.
Pep Guardiola's flops have suffered an embarrassing campaign which left the football world in shock. City failed to challenge for the Premier League title and didn't even reach the Champions League knockout stage.
The deposed champions can still win silverware by beating Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday. But Haaland said even this might not mean much to their long-serving stars, who are used to lifting bigger trophies.
The Norwegian superstar accused his side of lacking hunger and he said: "For me, it would help. It's important to win trophies and that's what I want. That's why I'm here. So it would help, definitely.
"But again, the standards these guys have been putting up, maybe for them it doesn't mean anything, because they put the standard so high. But for me it would help, definitely. City have high standards, winning so much in the last years, even before I came. Yeah, it hasn't been good enough.
Pep Guardiola - Erling Haaland
Manchester City have failed to live up to their lofty expectations this season and neither Pep Guardiola or Erling Haaland believe an FA Cup win will change that
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"We haven't been there fighting in the Premier League or the Champions League, and that's not good enough for a club like City. You should be there and you should compete.
"We haven't done that so now, if we can finish strong in the Premier League and win the FA Cup, that would be a really good thing. I'll do everything I can to make it happen. You can't win every year. And again, why I just said the club has set the standards so the bar is so high that this season is a catastrophic season - that just says it all.
“I don't know the answers, but sometimes you just need to run. You have to run more. We haven't run enough this season. You have to run more, perform better, be more stable as a team. Of course you can find excuses. Injuries, many injuries at bad times, but in the end we haven't been performing well enough.
"Next season we have to find something inside our stomach again to attack the season." City will start what will be their third straight final as favourites to win it. But Haaland has warned Guardiola's men to underestimate Palace at their peril.
Palace caused City problems in both league games this season. And Haaland said: "Palace are a really difficult club to play against. At Selhurst Park we drew and they started really well at the Etihad. They're an amazing team with quality players."
Haaland missed seven games with an ankle problem, but did whatever it took to regain his fitness ahead of the Wembley showdown. And he reckons it was the least he could do for the club, in the wake of such a disappointing campaign.
He added: "It is about optimising the main things: training, sleep, to eat as clean as possible and do things that affect your recovery in the best way. The club pays a lot of money, and the least I can do is try and get back as quick as possible.
"It has been horrible to get injured. It is not nice to see the team play, but you have to make the best out of it and try to come back as quick as possible.
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"You can't focus too much on the past because you can't do too much about it. All you can focus on is looking ahead. I am really happy to be back."