‘Not been that low since he was seven!’ - Man City striker Erling Haaland in ‘uncharted territory’ with run of three goals in 12 Premier League games

The draw against West Ham was another afternoon to forget for the former Borussia Dortmund man. Despite Manchester City dominating large spells of possession, Haaland cut a frustrated figure as he struggled to find the back of the net. The result has left City trailing Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points, putting their title claims in serious jeopardy.

Speaking on TNT Sports, former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole highlighted just how unusual this period is for the 25-year-old. "This is uncharted territory for him, those type of numbers," Cole remarked during the post-match analysis. "He's not been that low since he was probably about seven."

While the numbers are glaring, former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott believes the blame shouldn't rest solely on Haaland's shoulders. Lescott suggested that the supply line to the Premier League's top scorer has become frayed in recent weeks.

"There's a lack of cohesion between the collective of players around him," Lescott explained. "I don't think they understand the type of pass or the right type of cross for Erling Haaland. It's uncharted territory in regards to current form, but he's got 29 goals in 41 games [in all competitions]. Any striker in any walk of life, you want that. You can say that the last 14 games isn't great, but if it was the first 14, City wouldn't be in this position anyway."

The concerns regarding Haaland’s form extend beyond domestic competition. After missing a win over Leeds through injury and returning for a draw with Nottingham Forest, Haaland was quiet in City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, failing to register a single shot. Despite the noise surrounding his star man, Pep Guardiola is adamant that his number nine remains the key to City's success and will find his rhythm again soon.

"The lack of goals, we miss him of course," Guardiola said. "I always believe it's the connections and many things create the good interactions. But Erling, we need his goals. We need to create more, like in the [first half], he has three chances there. We have to create that threat that sometimes we didn't have. He will be back."

The timing of this goal drought could not be worse for Manchester City as they enter a season-defining stretch. They must now overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League before a massive Carabao Cup final clash against Arsenal. City fans also will be hoping that Haaland finds his scoring boots in time for the crucial quarter-final FA Cup tie against Liverpool.