UCL 2022-23: 'Man City doesn't win just for Erling Haaland' - Pep Guardiola ahead of Sevilla clash
Manchester City gets its UEFA Champions League 2022-23 stint underway on Tuesday against Sevilla away from home. While the focus would be on Erling Haaland, club boss Pep Guardiola has clarified that the side is not dependent on him.
FollowEnglish champion Manchester City is yet to reign supreme in Europe. To change its fortunes around this time, it starts afresh in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League (UCL) against Spanish giants Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Sevilla on Tuesday. City has had a mixed start to the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL), placed second on the table with four wins and a couple of draws. However, the club's new signing Erling Haaland has impressed, having scored in every game he has played. While the focus would be on him again, club head coach Pep Guardiola has clarified that his boys are not entirely dependent on the Norwegian striker.
"That helps us to win titles? I don't know. We don't win the Champions League if we rely on Erling's shoulders. We try to create chances for him to score goals. We convinced him to come here. We felt we didn't have many strikers. He tries to be involved in the way we play. He settles well like Julian [Alvarez] and other players," said Guardiola during the pre-match press conference, reports Fotmob.
"I understand everyone talks about Erling, but I have three, four, five new players, and they all must settle. We don't win just for Erling and don't lose just for Erling. He has a special quality and might be able to solve some problems, but if we don't play good, we aren't going to win games," Guardiola added.
Guardiola also hailed Sevilla as a top side, rating UCL as a challenging competition, as he said, "Last season we fought to be here. We know how difficult it will be. Spanish teams dominate Europe. I'd love to have a story, as Sevilla has. City is far away from Sevilla in Europe. Tomorrow [Tuesday], don't miss the spectacle in this stadium. We'll try to play a good game and get three points."
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