Haaland has not been on the pitch since March 30. With three games left and a very close battle for a Champions League ticket for next season, City with Haaland at the top were supposed to save the season. Everyone thought.
Their opponent was Southampton, who have already been relegated for the coming season, but are fighting feverishly not to remain as the weakest club in Premier League history with 12 points during the season. On Saturday, this drive was clearly greater than City’s and Haaland’s drive to secure one of the CL tickets.
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Despite great dominance by City in the first half, it was still 0-0 at half-time, and the visitors did not have much to show for their superiority. Zero shots on goal for City, despite 75 percent possession in the first half.
City continued to push for a winning goal in the second half, but got no closer than a post shot from substitute Omar Marmoush in injury time. The game ended – most unexpectedly – 0-0.
There are two points lost to Pep Guardiola’s men in the battle for the Champions League places. The top five teams go to the CL, and City are currently four points behind Nottingham Forest in sixth place.
“It’s a heavy blow for Manchester City,” says Kris Boyd on Sky Sports.
“Southampton are celebrating as if they have survived! It’s like they’ve won a cup! The players did everything today,” said former national team goalkeeper Rob Green on the BBC.
Thanks to the cross, Southampton move up to twelve points, thus ensuring that the team avoids becoming the worst Premier League team of all time. Derby County have the bottom record with eleven points in the 2007/2008 season.
“It could be one of the worst results in football you can be associated with, and they have avoided it,” Green said.
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For the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, it is correspondingly disastrous not to secure a CL ticket. Saturday’s game could be the one that tipped Guardiola and Haaland out of the Champions League.
