Pep Guardiola has again criticised the standard of officiating by claiming that Erling Haaland is not provided enough protection by referees.
Haaland goes into Saturday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford having scored eight times in six Premier League meetings with Manchester United but by has struggled to find the net of late by his own high standards.
The 25-year-old has recently endured physical battles with Jan Paul van Hecke and Sven Botman in games against Brighton and Newcastle United, encounters from which his manager believed that Manchester City were due more free kicks.
And Guardiola re-opened a debate on refereeing ahead of the derby, in the wake of inflammatory comments surrounding the decision to disallow an Antoine Semenyo flick at Newcastle because of a controversial Haaland offside.
‘Erling is the only striker in the world that makes more fouls than defenders do on him,’ Guardiola said. ‘He is only the striker in my life that he makes more fouls to defenders than defenders to him.
‘I’ve never seen this. At the beginning of the season the referee said it would be the opposite. But it is the opposite of that.’
Guardiola maintained that he had not been in contact with PGMO chief Howard Webb this week and added: ‘Have you seen what happens in the boxes, not just with Man City? I don't know how keepers can survive with the pushing and what happens there with keepers today.
‘I don't understand that and I don't understand that every time Erling touches an opponent it's a foul from Erling.’
Haaland has not scored from open play in his last six matches – finding the net from the penalty spot against Brighton – and has three in his last 10 games outside of penalties.
But Guardiola moved to laud the striker’s all-round play and is likely to offer him a rest once Omar Marmoush returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.
‘God bless that we have Erling in our team right now and all of the season,’ the City boss added. ‘We are fortunate to have him and without him we would not be in the position we are in now.
‘He brings a lot and is getting better at many, many things. There are a lot of games and it is an incredible period for games. Every three days there is a match, recovery is less with travel, tough conditions, central defenders tough. It is difficult. But he’ll be back.’