Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted Erling Haaland is not yet back to his "absolute best" after the Norwegian striker continued his remarkable debut Premier League season with two more goals in Wednesday's 3-1 win at Leeds United.
Haaland, 23, has been in sensational form since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and took his Premier League goal tally to 20 from just 15 appearances with his double at Elland Road, becoming the fastest player to reach the milestone. He has scored 26 goals in 20 games across all competitions.
Despite his unstoppable form, Guardiola is convinced Haaland still has another level to find as he continues to recover from an injury sustained in a Champions League game against former club Dortmund at the end of October.
Having missed the World Cup due to Norway's failure to qualify, Haaland spent the past few weeks resting and recovering, and was part of the City squad who enjoyed a training camp in Abu Dhabi.
“I still think he's still not back to his best, that was at the beginning of the season I would say but then the injury he had in Dortmund,” Guardiola said in his post-match press conference.
“When he started to train in Abu Dhabi he could not train every single day, maybe the last one. To move this huge body is not easy for him. But as much as he can play, with minutes he will be better. I have the feeling he is not at his best. It’s a question of time after the injury.
“But I had the feeling that he is always an incredible threat for the opponent. The numbers are unbelievable. I had the feeling he’s not coming here just for the numbers - we want to win it. Still we are far away from the team that has been exceptional so far.
“There are 70 points to play for and we have to have an incredible run, to win and win to be close to the top of the league.”
Leeds v Man City player ratings
While it was once again Haaland in the headlines, Guardiola was also pleased with the contribution of Jack Grealish. The England midfielder missed a couple of good chances in the first half against Leeds but responded by providing both assists for Haaland's goals.
“He was good,” Guardiola said. “In the first half he missed chances and has to improve on that. It’s just mentality and to be aggressive to score.
“He showed the quality to be generous. He’s incredibly loved by everyone. He’s so humble and they were perfect assists for Erling.”
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch had spoken before the game of the dangers Haaland posed, but ultimately his Leeds side were unable to contain the Norwegian. The American knows the striker well from their one year working together at Austrian side RB Salzburg.
"Haaland has an uncanny ability to know where to be to score goals and a hunger like I have never seen before," Marsch said. "It is infectious in the team. It is a desire that spreads through the team.
"I don't know whether Man City are my favourites for the league but Haaland is one of my favourite players to watch."
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
