Embattled Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has maintained that Erling Haaland is not solely responsible for Manchester City’s recent collapse.

The reigning Premier League champions, who have claimed four successive English titles, suffered a further setback with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday — their ninth loss in 12 matches across all competitions.

The match also marked a concerning statistic for Haaland, as the prolific Norwegian striker has now failed to score in five of his last six matches.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Haaland candidly admitted his dip in form, saying: “First, I’m looking at myself. I haven’t been scoring my chances. I have to do better; I haven’t been good enough.”

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Guardiola, however, defended Haaland, who has netted an impressive 108 goals since joining the club in 2022. “Without him, we would be even worse,” Guardiola remarked. “He needs to be delivered the right balls in the right spots.”

During a pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s Boxing Day clash with Everton, Guardiola reiterated that the team’s struggles extend beyond Haaland.

“It’s about us, not just one player,” he emphasized. “When in the past we scored goals, and Erling was so prolific, it was because of the team.

“When you have problems at the back or in the middle, it affects everyone. It’s a team effort, not about one player. It would be easy if it were just one reason, but it’s not.”

Guardiola also stressed the importance of maximizing Haaland’s potential, saying, “Erling is so important for us, has been, and will be. We need to do things better to use him better.”

Reflecting on the team’s current predicament, Guardiola said, “The guys are running and making an effort more than ever. This tendency to pinpoint a single reason — be it a player, a manager, or something else — isn’t the solution.

“It’s the small and big details combined that have made us not as good as we were. But we have another opportunity on Boxing Day.”

The Boxing Day fixture against Everton now presents Manchester City with a chance to revive their faltering campaign.