‘Is it Haaland’s team or is it Guardiola’s team?’
Updated 22/10/2025 at 10:36 GMT+1
Is Erling Haaland becoming the main man at the Etihad Stadium? Julien Laurens believes Manchester City are beginning to look "more and more" like his team, instead of Pep Guardiola's. The Norwegian was on target in a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League. He was one of several stars on the night, as England youngster Rico Lewis also impressed while starting in midfield.
'Is it Guardiola or Erling's team?' - Keown, Laurens in awe of 'runaway train' Haaland
Video credit: TNT Sports
TNT Sports' Julien Laurens believes Erling Haaland is becoming the main man at Manchester City.
The striker scored for the 12th game running for his club and country in a 2-0 UEFA Champions League victory over Villarreal.
It leaves them in fifth place in the league phase with seven points from three fixtures.
Haaland got the ball rolling early on when he converted from Rico Lewis' pass.
It means he has already been on target 15 times across all competitions for City this season.
And when Matt Smith asked whether City were now Haaland's team or Guardiola's team, Laurens leaned towards the Norwegian.
He said: "It looks more and more like Haaland's team. He's scored eight of their last nine, Bernardo [Silva] being the one that scored the other one.
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"Apart from that, it was him all the time, in the league, in the Champions League.
"That dependency is maybe a great thing, because he's a great striker, he will never stop scoring.
"But on the other hand, I think Guardiola was right before the game to say that, and he got the players to step up and score as well."
Amazingly, Haaland only touched the ball six times in the first half.
He is not a player who needs to be regularly involved in a game to have an impact though, as illustrated by his goal.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Martin Keown stressed that the striker is simply unplayable if afforded time and space in the penalty area.
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Highlights: Haaland scores for 12th game running as Man City brush aside Villarreal
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Awesome, and we know that," he said. "He has the power, the pace. He's almost unstoppable right now. He's a runaway train at times.
"They're just playing to his strengths. When he first came, you thought there was a frustration around him. They had this false nine for a few seasons.
"He's very much the real deal and everything now is going through him. He has to stay fit. It's imperative really. But you know that Pep will try and find another way.
"Right now, keep giving him the ball and he will score you goals."
Guardiola reveals which City player he 'adores'
While Haaland stole the headlines, there was another player who shone in Spain for City, whose win at Estadio de la Ceramica was their first on the road in the Champions League in over a year.
Lewis set up the Norwegian for the opening goal and put in an impressive display before being replaced by Tijjani Reijnders in the second half.
The England international has primarily featured at full-back since making his debut in 2022, but started in central midfield.
His assist was accompanied by an 80% pass completion rate, and Guardiola had nothing but praise for the 20-year-old.
"I love that player," the Catalan told TNT Sports. "These type of players, I adore them."
"Defensively, offensively, he is beyond intelligent. He moves, and every moment he knows perfectly when and how and where he has to move.
"I'm really pleased with his game."
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Lewis pays credit to 'amazing' Haaland - 'We've got our confidence back'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Haaland's opener was added to by a Bernardo Silva header just before the break.
Villarreal rallied after half-time but were unable to find a way back into the game, with Gianluigi Donnarumma making two saves.
Praising the performance, Guardiola continued: "After a little disappointment in Monaco [where City drew 2-2], we played at the same level we did today and created chances but could not win.
"Today, in a tough place... the Spanish league is so difficult, I know from my experience. Villarreal, in the last 23 seasons, they have been 17, 18 times in Europe.
"That shows how good they are. The manager, Marcelino, is a top, top class manager.
"We did really well. John [Stones] playing in the middle helped us a lot. Really good, really pleased."
'We've got our confidence back'
City have now gone unbeaten in nine games, winning seven of them, since a 2-1 loss to Brighton at the end of August.
The only blots on their copybook during that period have been draws with Monaco (2-2) and Arsenal (1-1), both of them away from home.
It suggests they are beginning to banish the demons of last season, when the Cityzens finished third in the Premier League and were dumped out of Europe at the knock-out play-off phase.
Lewis believes they are a different beast in 2025/26 though.
"I think we've got our confidence back, that's the main thing," he told TNT Sports. "When you're playing with confidence, there's nothing really that can stop you other than yourself.
"Everyone trusts each other as well. You see the players who played today; everyone's got trust, we all want that ball and there's nothing better than all of us having each other as well as ourselves on the pitch.
"The manager was saying it's so important in this competition to get that away win early on, because it relieves a bit of stress and puts us in good stead for the next games.
"It's an important win. Home or away, we have to get the three points anyway."
Having Haaland in the starting XI helps too.
"It's amazing," Lewis added. "To play with him in the team, it helps more than you think.
"He draws so many defenders, which frees up other people, and then when those people are free, it frees himself up. It's impossible to defend. Credit to him.
"He's such a hard worker and he never stops wanting to score, and you can see that."
And what about his new position, in central midfield?
It is not exactly an alien area of the field to Lewis, despite being more widely known as a defender.
"I'm always happy when I play there [centre midfield]," he concluded. "The manager knows that. Really happy.
"I think it's where I affect the game the most. When I'm playing football and I'm happy, there's no better feeling."
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