Manchester Metropolis have usually been accused of being too reliant on Erling Haaland this season. There are indicators that could possibly be altering.
January signing Antoine Semenyo scored the one objective in a tense towards Leeds United at Elland Street on Saturday as Metropolis, with out the injured Haaland, moved to inside two factors of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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Since signing from Bournemouth for £62.5m, Semenyo has scored six objectives in 11 appearances, making him the membership’s prime scorer this yr and easing the goalscoring burden on Haaland.
Semenyo’s arrival has coincided with a formidable run of kind for Pep Guardiola’s facet as 4 league wins in a row – and one loss in seven video games – have helped them pile the stress on long-time leaders Arsenal.
The Gunners host Chelsea on Sunday however, with Arsenal and Metropolis on account of meet in April, they may really feel their presence shut behind.
“It means every part,” mentioned 26-year-old Semenyo. “We simply wish to win with our video games on our facet and, no matter Arsenal do, we simply have to attend and see.
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“We simply want to manage what we will management, win our video games, and we’ll see what occurs.”
Guardiola strode on to the pitch after the match and blew kisses within the path of his household within the stands.
That can even have contained a big dose of smugness in the direction of the Leeds followers, who had been throwing insults in the direction of him through the recreation, in line with the Spaniard.
‘We’re constructing these gamers’
Semenyo’s winner silenced a raucous and rowdy crowd with an actual poacher’s end, reacting quickest to latch on to Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross and changing with aplomb.
“We made lots of passes that we would have liked to do to outlive with out a lot intention to assault,” mentioned Guardiola.
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“The response was wonderful – unbelievable with the objective we scored. A whole recreation in a troublesome, powerful place, and 10 video games left within the Premier League. Time to be decisive.
“Now we’re constructing these gamers and so they have a protracted, very long time right here. It can be crucial for the long run for the membership.”
Semenyo is taking the goalscoring burden off Haaland’s shoulders – solely his team-mate with 29 and Brentford’s Igor Thiago (19) have been concerned in additional Premier League objectives than Semenyo’s 18.
Since signing for Metropolis, Semenyo has scored 4 league objectives and offered one help, a objective contributions report which is bettered solely by Chelsea pair Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, who’ve six apiece.
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In late November Haaland had scored 58% of Metropolis’s objectives, taken 30% of their photographs and had 57% of their anticipated objectives (xG).
He had scored 19 objectives in all competitions. Burnley’s Maxime Esteve was Metropolis’s second highest scorer within the league due to his two personal objectives within the recreation at Etihad Stadium.
Now, whereas Haaland’s spectacular haul of 29 objectives for the marketing campaign nonetheless leads the way in which, Semenyo – and others – are silencing those that feared Metropolis have been too reliant on the Norwegian’s objectives.
‘It is not an enormous subject’
Guardiola didn’t reveal the extent of Haaland’s damage and couldn’t say if he will likely be match for the sport towards Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
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His omission got here as a shock as there was no trace beforehand of Haaland lacking out on the journey to Leeds.
“We do not have spies within the coaching centre to ship the data to our media,” mentioned Guardiola. “I feel it isn’t an enormous subject. We are going to see.”
It was the primary Premier League match Haaland has not been concerned on this season.
A stunning statistic, although, exhibits that for the reason that begin of the 2022-23 season Metropolis have received 14 of their 18 league video games with out Haaland, averaging 2.4 factors per recreation in his absence in comparison with 2.1 when he options.
Victory over Leeds means Metropolis have misplaced solely one in all their previous 15 video games when enjoying a day earlier than Arsenal.
The primary direct blow between the perimeters will likely be struck subsequent month within the Carabao Cup ultimate at Wembley.