By Karim Hammam
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has warned his squad they cannot depend solely on Erling Haaland for goals after back-to-back Premier League defeats dropped them behind Arsenal.
Maresca calls for shared scoring burden
City lost 1-0 at Brighton on Saturday, with Haaland failing to score, and were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa earlier. Maresca stressed the need for other players to contribute. "It's very important that in each game, we created chances... we cannot rely on Erling for every game. We need also the rest to score goals," he said. The manager noted the Brighton match was the only game this season where City failed to score.
Champions League focus and Foden’s resurgence
Maresca spoke ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match against RB Leipzig. City have won two of three group games, losing only to PSG. Phil Foden’s hat-trick against AEK Athens signaled a return to form after a difficult period that included a red card in the Manchester derby and omission from England’s World Cup squad.
Foden said the break helped him return fresh and sharp, and he hopes to regain his best level. He remains on the bench for the last two league games due to squad depth, with Maresca emphasizing the need to manage players over a long season to keep them fit for crucial months.
