‘We are not going to just win for Erling’ – Pep Guardiola issues Haaland Champions League warning

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says if his side win the Champions League it will because of a team effort rather than just the skills of star striker Erling Haaland.

Haaland completed a £51.2m deal to bring the Norwegian international to the Etihad Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in June.

Since his summer switch from Dortmund, Haaland has scored 10 goals in six Premier League outings, including two hat-tricks.

However, Guardiola remains cautious about expecting too much from Haaland as he prepares for the start of City’s latest Champions League campaign away at Sevilla.

The Spaniard told reporters at a press conference: “All the players that came in this season, they try to make us better, otherwise (signing them) would make no sense.

“If that is going to help us win the titles, I don’t know. But if we rely all on Erling’s shoulders we are not going to win the Champions League.

“We have to do well to help him, to create more chances and then he scores goals. Hopefully he can do it.

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

“I understand completely that everyone talks about Erling. But I have three, four, five new players and it’s the same for them all, to settle as quickly as possible.

“Hopefully he can help us, of course, but we are not going to just win for Erling. He has a special quality and maybe in the important games he can solve the problems we have. But if we don’t play good we aren’t going to win games in the Champions League or even the Premier League.”