Pep Guardiola usually lets his Manchester City players pick their leadership group each summer but this season he chose it himself, and added Erling Haaland as fourth captain behind Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias and Rodri. It was a sign of Guardiola seeing leadership qualities in Haaland, and has led to further enhancing of the Norwegian’s game.
Haaland takes chances as usual and now takes more responsibility. His work out of possession for City at the Emirates, making interceptions and headed clearances, showed how his game continues to mature. When Haaland, inevitably City’s goalscorer, went off with 15 minutes remaining, having run himself into the ground, Arsenal fully believed they could get back into the game and take a point in a 1-1 draw of benefit mainly to leaders Liverpool.
