Erling Haaland at centre of disagreement between Pep Guardiola and Man City star

Erling Haaland’s goal run continued against Villarreal in the Champions League after Pep Guardiola asked the striker’s team-mates to get themselves on the scoresheet

Bernardo Silva ended Erling Haaland’s stranglehold on Manchester City‘s goals against Villarreal in the Champions League. However, the Portuguese star is perfectly content for the striker to keep firing them in.

Silva found the net for City’s second in their 2-0 triumph to become the first player other than Haaland to score for Pep Guardiola‘s side since their 5-1 win over Burnley last month. The Norwegian sensation had opened the scoring to extend his remarkable run to 12 consecutive matches on target for club and country, taking his tally to 24 goals this season.

Guardiola had urged his attacking stars to chip in with more goals, warning that they cannot achieve success if Haaland does not receive proper backing. Yet Silva isn’t bothered about the 25-year-old claiming the majority of goals, provided the team keeps winning.

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“I don’t think that matters a lot,” Silva said. “If other players score, obviously, it’s nice as well, but as long as we win football games, I don’t care if Erling scores zero and the other guy scores two each, or if he scores 20 and no one else scores. We want to win football games and that’s what we’ve been doing, so I’m quite happy with that.”

City’s victory stretches their unbeaten streak to nine matches across all competitions. They go into Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa in far better shape than when they were lucky to escape with just a 2-1 defeat in the Midlands last December.

An eight-point gap behind Premier League champions Liverpool just three games ago is no more following three consecutive wins. City are growing in belief and momentum with each passing match.

Silva has spearheaded City’s campaign this season as club captain and discussed the squad’s ambitions as they look to hit top form in the second half of the campaign. “A lot of changes from the past two seasons,” he said.

“The players are improving every day, and hopefully in a few months we can be even better than we are now. That’s the goal.

“We know that usually this team is always better at the end of the season than in the beginning, and that’s the aim. If we can stay there on the top until February, March, to fight for titles, then we know what we’re able to do.

“We’re happy with the momentum, we’re happy that in the Champions League we’re in a good position, and in the Premier League we’re also in a good position. Now we have tough games.

“We have Aston Villa away, which no one can say is an easy game. Then again, in a few weeks, the Champions League starts again, and we want this season to qualify in the top eight.

“We know how important it is not to have those two extra games. But yeah, we’re happy with our momentum right now, with the way the team is playing.

“We found a bit more of our rhythm. We found the stability at the back, I think, in my opinion.

“That gives the freedom for the guys at front to play in a different way. I always say that when you’re stable at the back, when the team defends properly, and we’re now defending quite well, then that’s when you can win football games.

“The guys up front can make a difference. That’s what we didn’t have for a long time last season, and that’s what we’re getting back to, to having that stability.

“We’re happy with the momentum, but still a long way to go. It’s just one month that we were quite good. If we want to be successful this season, we need to keep it that way for much longer than just one month.”

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