What Erling Haaland winning Fans' Footballer of the Year vote says about Man City

In reality, it was only ever going to go one way. Erling Haaland is the Manchester City Fans' Footballer of the Year for 2023 after receiving an overwhelming majority of votes from readers of The Manchester Evening News.

Haaland came second in the nationwide vote for Reach PLC's top prize, with Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier taking top spot. But The Norwegian pulled in 46.5% of more than 1,000 votes from City supporters, pipping Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish to the club-specific award.

In arguably City's greatest ever period, Haaland has been their best player. 44 goals across a calendar year that could have yielded 50, had he not suffered a foot injury that has kept him out for the last four matches. City have two more games left in 2023, following Friday's Club World Cup final, and the fact you cannot completely rule that milestone out depending on fitness says much about Haaland's year in front of goal.

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Pep Guardiola has enjoyed domestic dominance for several seasons but City's fortunes in Europe were always impacted by the lack of reliable goal threat. Haaland scored 12 goals in last season's Champions League and his side went all the way - it is no coincidence.

City's season has been dominated by silverware and Guardiola can claim his fifth trophy in the Club World Cup this week. The Blues beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on Tuesday and face Brazilian side Fluminense in the final on Friday.

All four City nominees enjoyed outstanding years respectively in a period where every player deserves credit for making history. Grealish became a vital cog in Guardiola's attack in his