There was no remontada, only a crushing feeling. As Pep Guardiola stared blankly into the horizon, Manchester City – playing most of the game with 10 men – were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate. With their Premier League season hanging by a thread, having fallen 9 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, Pep Guardiola’s chances of silverware might hinge only on the domestic cups — where they face the Gunners in Sunday’s EFL Cup final and then lock horns with Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals on April 4. These are not easy fixtures on a normal day but considering City’s stuttering form, the task looks tall. But how did it get to this position? When the season started, City looked to have all bases covered. But a potential problem has been lurking behind the scenes since last season—a Kevin de Bruyne-shaped hole and its impact on star striker Erling Haaland. Ever since the Belgian left City, Haaland’s main supply line appears to have shrunk. Even though he still raked in the goals, they were bound to dry up as seen over the last one month, as before his strike against Real on Tuesday, his last goal came on February 12. ALSO READ | Is Real Madrid defeat the beginning of end for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City This might be due to City’s slight tweak in formation where Guardiola has frequently deployed two strikers, which often doesn’t play to Haaland’s strengths when his team dominates possession but gets closed down near the final third. With the more favoured 4-3-3 where he plays as the central attacker with assistance from two wingers and a No. 10 behind him, the Norwegian looks more like the behemoth of old. But with City’s wide array of attacking talents, sometimes in order to line up to their strengths, Guardiola risks nullifying Haaland’s impact, leaving him starved of service. The style City currently employ sees the players moving the ball around the edge of the opponent’s penalty box, trying to find a perfect pass. (AP Photo) Poor service Couple that with City’s midfield not firing on all cylinders and Haaland has looked pretty isolated up top, with chances coming at a premium. He is at his most ruthless when barreling at defenders with the ball pinged over his shoulder, which was the case during de Bruyne heydays. The two almost had a telepathic understanding with the Belgian often finding the striker from virtually impossible scenarios, leading to the barrage of goals during City’s most ruthless phase. Haaland was unhappy about his substitution pic.twitter.com/11udkieIhx — The ANF Club ⚽️ (@adjorNfriends) March 17, 2026 In de Bruyne’s absence, Phil Foden could have been moulded for that role but the Englishman hasn’t had the best of 2026 with his role slowly diminishing in the starting XI. The 25-year-old hasn’t started in crucial encounters – such as the ones against Real Madrid and Liverpool – which says a lot about his current form. The style City currently employ sees the players moving the ball around the edge of the opponent’s penalty box, trying to find a perfect pass. During that time, Haaland constantly moves around inside the area, jockeying for space. But City’s ponderous approach results in the striker waiting for the ball to arrive and when it eventually does, the chance of scoring has usually gone. The big Norwegian is not a typical Guardiola player but over the years has proved to be a devastating goal threat. But that was when he had the likes of de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Rodri controlling the midfield and the small pockets in and around the goal, providing him with the desired service.Story continues below this ad With the first two having left the club and Silva and Rodri far from their best, the new crop of City midfielders have more often than not failed to work according to Haaland’s strengths.
Why Manchester City’s tweak in approach and inability to replace Kevin De Bruyne has resulted in Erling Haaland’s recent dip in goal-scoring form
