In a sense, it is hard to imagine that Erling Haaland can cause too much change to Manchester City. As Jamie Carragher said this week, the Blues have been winning the Premier League without him and have also been top scorers in the division at a very healthy rate.
When you are at the top, there is not much further for you to go. However, at the same time small improvements at the highest level can make a big difference.
A single goal can be the difference between making the Champions League final or suffering an agonising semi-final exit, or taking the pressure out of a Premier League title race. Also read:Man City to replace academy recruitment head after Southampton move Haaland has been brought in to leave his mark on the biggest stages, and in both league encounters against Liverpool last season there was a sense that better finishing from City would have earned them victories.
The 2-2 draw at Anfield was more fair, but the Blues rightly felt disappointed after their 2-2 at the Etihad that they had 'left them alive' in the title race, as Guardiola put it.