Guardiola's disappointment that would take him out of City to sign with Barca

But it was not all good for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola

11/02/2024, 12:33 AM +00:00

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne - who recently returned from a lengthy injury absence - teamed up to score in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday in what should be a signal to the defending champions' rivals that they should be worried.

Liverpool retained top spot with a 3-1 win over Burnley, but City are hot on their heels, two points behind with a game in hand and their stellar attack back. It is now 12 times that De Bruyne has assisted Haaland with a goal since they started playing together at the start of last season when the Norwegian striker moved to England. No Premier League duo has as many goals in that same period.

And there was something that felt familiar when De Bruyne received the ball in midfield and passed it to Haaland, who broke free and fired into the back of the net after 85 minutes. This was Haaland's second goal of the match after breaking down Everton's stubborn defense in the 71st minute when he shot after receiving a loose ball from a corner kick.City has now won six straight league games and 10 in a row in all competitions.

Disappointment

But it was not all good for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, as television footage showed large gaps in the stands at the Etihad Stadium due to low attendance, something that has disappointed Guardiola in the past. This, according to different reports, could provoke him to leave the team and he could be seduced to sign with Barcelona, the team of his heart.