01 April 2023 , 12:09
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Piers Morgan wasted no time in sarcastically reacting to the news that Erling Haaland had been ruled out of Manchester City 's game against Liverpool.
The Arsenal -supporting TV personality tweeted: "Oh no," with a smiley face emoji as he enjoyed learning that the 42-goal striker was absent on a huge occasion for City. Haaland picked up a groin injury during the international break which saw him miss two games for Norway in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Although the 22-year-old is feeling "much better," Citizens boss Pep Guardiola explained pre-match that he didn't want a risk him, despite City trailing Premier League title rivals Arsenal by eight points going into Saturday's early kick-off. "He's much, much better, but not for today," Guardiola told BT Sport. "He didn't feel good, no risk."
In Haaland's place came Argentine starlet Julian Alvarez, having only started six previous Premier League games. Alvarez, who arrived from River Plate last summer, may not boast anything close to Halaand's goalscoring prowess but ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch feels that he adds a different and potentially more useful dimension.
"I love him as a player," Crouch said of Haaland. "He's got a great goal record. It's so frustrating - I've been there in a situation where you've got someone in front of you like Haaland, I had it with [Fernando] Torres at Liverpool where everything he touched was going in the back of the net.
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"He's not gonna replace him, what he's gonna have to do is be ready for any occasion that he gets called upon or perhaps play alongside him. He gives you that little bit more, Haaland will always play on the edge trying to score goals and have an impact with his goalscoring, but Alvarez's all-round game is a lot more touches of the football."
Erling Haaland watched Manchester City host Liverpool from the stands (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)Have your say! Who'll win the Premier League - Arsenal or Man City? Join the debate in the comments section.
Guardiola won't mind who gets the goals so long as City win and peg back Arsenal, something which the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager insists that his side can do. " Absolutely," Guardiola affirmed. "I don't know about confident, in reality they are better, I would love to be in that position, but until the last moment we have a chance, why don't we have to fight?
"Why don't we have to be there? We have done it many, many years so I know it's Liverpool - the toughest opposition we have faced in the last few seasons - but at the same time we have tough, tough games ahead of us, tough games for them as well, so step-by-step, play one week, recover, prepare, next game at home to Bayern Munich and Leicester so let's see what happens."