'Most difficult position on the planet' - Erling Haaland facing '200 million' defenders as Pep Guardiola leaps to Man City star's defence

Despite being the Premier League’s leading scorer, Haaland has seen his clinical edge vanish in the second half of the season. After a relentless start that saw him bag 19 goals in his opening 17 league games, the Norwegian striker has managed just three goals in his last 12 league outings. However, Guardiola refused to blame his talisman, instead highlighting the sheer number of bodies opposition managers are throwing at the 25-year-old.

City's recent trip to the London Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 draw, perfectly illustrated the tactical suffocation Haaland is currently enduring. Isolated at the top of the pitch, he found himself constantly swarmed by a disciplined low block, struggling to find the pockets of space he usually thrives in.

"Do you know how many central defenders were around him today? 200 million," Guardiola said after the game. "Do you know how many holding midfielders? It is the most difficult position on the planet, so for that we have to deliver with wingers to put it there. Always we try. It’s not easy and sometimes we have periods and we have to accept it.”

The current slump has caught the attention of many observers, with former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole noting that Haaland's numbers have dipped to levels not seen since his childhood. "This is uncharted territory for him, those type of numbers," Cole remarked during the post-match analysis for TNT Sports. "He's not been that low since he was probably about seven."

With eight matches remaining, City are facing an uphill battle to reclaim the Premier League crown. Sitting in second place and staring down a nine-point gap to league leaders Arsenal, there is no further room for error, and Haaland’s form could be the deciding factor in whether they can pull off a late surge. However, before they can resume their domestic pursuit, Guardiola's men must first scale an even steeper mountain in Europe as they attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium.