The UNBELIEVABLE stat that proves Erling Haaland is NOT a big game player

James Shearman

• Updated: 26 May 2024 08:21 BST
• 3 min read

Erling Haaland struggled in Manchester City's 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's side were heavy favourites to win the match against their arch rivals and add another trophy to their collection.

But they were simply not at United's level on the day and undoubtedly deserved to lose.

One of the key factors in City's poor performance was that their star striker failed to make an impact.

Haaland has enjoyed another special season at the Etihad Stadium but there is an unbelievable stat that demonstrates his struggles in big games.

According to Football Insider, Haaland has scored provided a single goal or assist nine semi-finals and finals for Man City.

READ MORE: Latest Man City transfer rumours

For a player that typically provides at least one goal contribution every game, his final record cannot be overlooked.

Of course, he remains an exceptional player, but he needs to have more influence on the biggest occasions if he is to become the best player in the world.

Erling Haaland won Premier League golden boot

Erling Haaland came into the 2023-24 season as the man to beat in the Premier League Golden Boot race.

He made a stunning start to EPL life last season, scoring a record-breaking 36 top-flight goals to claim the award in his first campaign.

And, his efforts helped to secure a historic treble for Man City and Pep Guardiola.

Both the club and the player were expected to repat last season's successes in the 2023-24 campaign and they duly delivered.

The Golden Boot race was far closer this time around, with Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins scoring 22 and 21 goals, respectively.

However, Haaland pulled away from the English duo in the last fortnight of the season, finishing on 27 goals.