Manchester City Ruled Out of Premier League Contention Citing Erling Haaland’s Struggles in Kevin De Bruyne’s Absence by Former Boss

Erling Haaland and his quest for winning the Premier League this season seem to be dwindling. Why? Well, the last two fixtures for Haaland’s Manchester City have cost them some crucial points on the EPL leaderboard, as they’ve now slipped to the 3rd spot. And now, a former Blues boss is making bold prophecies about City’s future this season!

What’s more – this veteran, who retired at Manchester City and then went on to manage the club for almost 4 seasons during the early 2000s has raised some dividing questions about Haaland’s performance. So, what is City’s former boss saying?

Former Manchester City boss makes a bold prediction undermining club’s ambitions for a second EPL trophy

Stuart Pearce recently sat down for an intriguing conversation with talkSPORT. As the discussion kicked off, Pearce was confronted with a question about City’s recent defeats. The host raised the point that despite these setbacks, Manchester City is a team known for bouncing back and stringing together a series of impressive victories.

However, the former Blues boss seemed to differ. He firmly declared, “No, in all honesty, at the start of the season, I predicted that Newcastle would win the league. So, I’m not going to back away from that now… I’m stubborn like that – but I still don’t think that City will win the league.”

This statement alone suggests a significant departure from the general belief that City remains a strong contender for the EPL title. But Pearce took it a step ahead and furthered his honest view. He opined, “I just think this year – having achieved what they did last year, they’re just going to drop away a little bit.” His belief is clear: City may not be able to replicate their previous season’s success.

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Considering both Arsenal and Tottenham are just 2 points clear of Pearce’s former club on the table – the next fixture will be crucial for City. Moreover, he has also made some intriguing comments about Haaland – including his dependency on midfield maestro and teammate, Kevin De Bruyne.

Stuart Pearce points to Erling Haaland and his struggles on the pitch

Stuart Pearce didn’t attribute City’s potential decline solely to their recent defeats. Instead, he pinpointed the absence of Kevin De Bruyne as a critical factor. Pearce emphasized,

“To be fair, I’m not judging that on these last two defeats. That’s irrelevant to me. Prior to that, it’s when [Kevin] De Bruyne was lost! I think when De Bruyne’s not in the team – Erling Haaland loses something, you know what I mean.”

His analysis underscores the vital role De Bruyne plays in City’s winning streaks and how his absence affects their star striker, Erling Haaland. Nevertheless, Pearce acknowledged his former club’s strengths and the quality of their squad – but maintained his skepticism.

He concluded, “And I think that supply line – listen, they’re a brilliant team with some great players, and they’re going to be right at the top of the league somewhere… But I just think that maybe in Arsenal or in Liverpool, they’ve got tougher challenges there.”

As the EPL season unfolds, Stuart Pearce’s contrarian view introduces an element of unpredictability into Manchester City’s journey. What do you think? Will City bounce back from their consecutive losses? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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