Pep Guardiola shot a cautionary message to Manchester City’s competitors following the club’s first pre-season match in Japan on Sunday.
He confidently noted that their star striker, Erling Haaland, has improved physically, and is in ‘much better’ shape than last season.
With an outstanding performance, Haaland scored two goals after being brought on during half-time, leading Manchester City’s spectacular turnaround as they emerged triumphant with a 5-3 win against J-League champions Yokohama F-Marinos in Tokyo.
During his debut season at City, the Norwegian striker showcased his incredible goal-scoring prowess, finding the back of the net a remarkable 52 times, with an astonishing 36 of those goals coming in the Premier League alone, setting a new single-season record in the league.
‘Comparing last season in that period he’s fitter, much better than last season when he arrived,’ Guardiola told journalists after the Tokyo match.
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‘Of course (he) looks good but (he) is still a way from the best condition, like everyone.’
Haaland’s brilliance in propelling City towards an unprecedented treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League was truly remarkable. However, towards the end of the campaign, his goal-scoring prowess seemed to dwindle.
The striker, who recently turned 23 on Friday, endured a goalless streak in his last five matches for City, making it the most prolonged period without finding the back of the net since he arrived at the club.
Considering this, Guardiola stated that it was ‘important for him to score the two goals in the first game’ in Japan.
‘We know him. In a few weeks he will be in even better condition than now,’ said Guardiola.
In their first game since claiming a 1-0 win against Inter Milan in the Champions League final last month, John Stones, Julian Alvarez, and Rodri each managed to hit the target for Guardiola’s side.
City’s initial XI against Marinos in Tokyo featured only four players who had started the previous game; this signified a vast overhaul of the squad. Also, the team had to cope with the departure of their captain, Ilkay Gundogan, who had departed for Barcelona.
The second half saw the likes of Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, and Bernardo Silva making appearances as substitutes. A lineup anyone would dub ‘impressive’.
In regards to Kevin De Bruyne, there was positive news, as Guardiola revealed that the midfielder’s condition he was feeling ‘Much, much, much better.’
‘I don’t know about Bayern Munich or the next game, Atletico Madrid, because of course he has to train. But he is so close. He’s coming back soon,’ said Guardiola.
In the coming days, City is set to meet Bayern in Tokyo on Wednesday, before embarking on a journey to Seoul to lock horns with Atletico in an important fixture.