Former Premier League manager claims Man City star looked ’emotionally detached’ vs Arsenal

Alan Pardew insists Manchester City striker Erling Haaland looked “emotionally detached” during their 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Citizens made the perfect start to the new Premier League season, winning six out of their first six matches, but things have taken a bit of a turn with their defeat to the Gunners meaning they’ve lost back-to-back league matches for the first time in almost five years.

That result allowed Arsenal to climb above them in the table with north London rivals Tottenham and the Gunners now two points ahead of Man City at the summit.

Haaland has scored eight goals in eight Premier League matches this season but he hasn’t hit the back of the net in his last three appearances in all competitions.

And former West Ham and Crystal Palace manager Pardew thinks Haaland looks too “unemotional” at times and that he isn’t “in the game enough”.

“Funnily enough, right at the end he gets involved with someone on the sidelines as he’s walking off the pitch,” Pardew told talkSPORT.

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“Actually on the pitch, he looked unemotional at times, you know, like he wasn’t in the game.”

Pardew added: “Sometimes when you are a striker, I’ve had many strikers over the years that come to me and say ‘it doesn’t feel like I was in the game, gaffer’, you know, ‘I didn’t get enough of the ball’.

“You kind of get emotionally detached and I think that’s where he is with City at the moment. He looks like he’s not in the game enough to bring the best out of him.”

Rodri was absent from Man City’s side on Sunday, due to suspension, and Pep Guardiola admits the Spaniard has been a big loss for the Citizens.

Guardiola said: “Rodri is a really important player, like the other ones, for the fact that last year he plays a lot of games.

“Yeah, Carabao Cup was a little bit different but of course against Wolves it was important and today as well. We know it and as a manager I have to find the moment he is not there, the way to do it.

“I have gratitude for the guys, they give everything, they fought and I know how disappointed they are because we are not used (to losing) but it is football, it happens.

“No team ever won four in a row, so for the statistics it didn’t happen, but we are in October and sometimes it is good to go behind.

“It is not the first time we are behind and the contenders are up front. Last season we were much, much behind than here, but the season is long.”