Scott Parker agrees with Pep Guardiola about Man City's hidden Erling Haaland tactic

Bournemouth manager Scott Parker says Erling Haaland has given opposition managers a whole new problem to consider when playing Manchester City.

Haaland was largely kept quiet in City's 4-0 win over Bournemouth, although he did use his strength to play a fine one-two with Ilkay Gundogan to break the deadlock for the first goal. And with Haaland occupied by Bournemouth's deep-lying defence, the likes of Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne were given space to run into and score the three unanswered goals before half-time.

Pep Guardiola said after the game that while the Blues need to work on getting Haaland more involved, space will open up for City's attacking midfielders if the opposition put more players on the new striker. And Bournemouth manager Parker opened up on that challenge, explaining how the tough challenge of playing the champions has just gone up a level.

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"It’s not just Haaland. For me, it’s 11 players on that pitch with Man City and that quality that they have," Parker explained.

"I get why people would highlight one player in Haaland – new signing and obviously an exceptional centre-forward. But you see the quality all over their pitch really.

"De Bruyne’s goal and the quality that they possess, Foden, Gundogan. You focus on one player and there’s another one popping up who is going to cause you problems. That’s just the way it is. As a team and as a unit, you need to do what you can do.

"One million per cent, they are the best team [he's ever seen], just everything about them. Most well-coached team. Functionally, technically, just everything about their game model is just very difficult to play against. It’s