Erling Haaland alone cannot win Champions League

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stressed that his side will need more than just the goals of Erling Haaland to finally win the Champions League.

The reigning Premier League champions have been immense in attack following the summer arrival of Haaland, who has ten goals in just six games to his name already this season, leaving many choosing City as the favourites to go all the way in Europe this year.

Ahead of City’s opener against Sevilla on Tuesday, Guardiola admitted that Haaland’s presence is a major boost to their hopes but warned the rest of the players that they will also have to step up if City are to finally get over the line.

“All the players the club decided to sign this season came in to try to make us better otherwise it would not make sense,” Guardiola said when asked if Haaland can steer City to glory.

“Is that help going to help us win the title? I don’t know. I always have belief, but if we rely only on Erling’s shoulders, we are not going to win the Champions League. What we have to do is play well, create chances to help him score goals and hopefully we can do it.

“He came here because we convinced him, because he felt we didn’t have many strikers and he could play with us and try to be involved in the way we are playing.

“I understand completely that everyone talks about Erling but I have three, four, five new players and I consider it the same to settle as quickly as possible.

“Hopefully he can help us but we’re not going to win just for Erling, this is my feeling. He has a special quality and in the important games maybe he can solve the problems we have, definitely, but if we don’t play well we’re not going to win games in the Champions League or Premier League.”

Guardiola, who confirmed that both Kyle Walker and John Stones will miss the game through injury, revealed that summer signing Manuel Akanji is in line to make his debut against Sevilla.

“That is why we are lucky the club gave us Akanji, otherwise we would be in trouble,” Guardiola said.

“We knew it, we felt it, that is why the club moved quick and we could bring in a player in this position.”