Erling Haaland has stressed the importance of winning the FA Cup final on Saturday as Manchester City aim to rescue what he described as a “horrific” season, following the end of their five-year reign as Premier League champions.
City will face Crystal Palace at Wembley, hoping to avoid finishing a campaign without silverware for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s inaugural 2016/17 season in charge.
Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, City trail champions Liverpool by 18 points and are still fighting to secure a top-five finish that would guarantee a Champions League spot next season. Their European hopes were further dashed after being eliminated from the Champions League before the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years, following a defeat to Real Madrid in the play-off stage.
“This season has been tough,” Haaland told the BBC. “It is not nice to lose so many games. It is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy. It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this.”
Haaland is expected to lead the line in the final after returning from a six-week injury absence during last weekend’s goalless draw against Southampton.
City’s struggles have been compounded by injuries to key players, including Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who missed most of the season due to a knee injury, along with a series of setbacks for several defenders. Despite this, Haaland insisted that the team’s performance had not met the standards expected at a club of City’s caliber.
“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses,” added the Norwegian. “Every single one of us hasn’t been good enough and we haven’t been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren’t going to win games in this country because it’s so hard.”
What you should know
With no major silverware secured and their league campaign faltering, Manchester City view the upcoming FA Cup final as a last chance to rescue their season.
Erling Haaland’s candid comments reflect the team’s internal frustration and determination to end the year on a winning note at Wembley.
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