Erling Haaland’s goal drought has a simple explanation

January 20, 2026 Oliver Obel

Manchester City’s Champions League trip to Bodo/Glimt arrives at an awkward moment for their most reliable scorer. The opponent, the surface, and the setting are unusual but the scrutiny surrounding Erling Haaland is familiar.

This time, it is his form rather than his records that dominate the discussion.

Fatigue before sentiment

City’s visit to northern Norway carries symbolic weight. As GOAL.com reported, Haaland could become the first Norwegian player to score against a Norwegian club in the Champions League, a landmark moment in his home country. Yet the emotional pull of a homecoming is tempered by a clear footballing concern.

Haaland has scored once in his last seven matches, a penalty against Brighton, and was largely anonymous during Manchester City’s heavy derby defeat to Manchester United. His movement was limited, his service sparse, and his influence minimal a rare sight for a striker who normally overwhelms defenders through volume alone.

A season without pauses

The context behind that dip matters. Haaland has played 30 of City’s 32 matches this season, accumulating more minutes than any other player in Pep Guardiola’s squad. Rotation, normally one of Guardiola’s defining tools, has been difficult to manage.

City remain tightly packed in the Champions League standings, with little margin for error. Last season’s narrow escape into the knockout rounds followed by elimination before the last 16 has made Guardiola wary of gambling with qualification. Resting his leading scorer is a risk he has been reluctant to take.

Circumstance, not choice

Haaland’s workload has also been shaped by necessity. Omar Marmoush’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals with Egypt left City without a natural alternative at centre-forward. As a result, Haaland was asked to start across competitions, including domestic cup fixtures he would normally be spared.

Before the Manchester derby, Guardiola acknowledged the toll. He described Haaland as “exhausted” and accepted that his own squad management had contributed, having used Marmoush sparingly earlier in the campaign.

Surface changes, same demands

City have adjusted their travel plans for Bodo/Glimt’s artificial pitch, flying out early to train at Aspmyra Stadion. It is a surface they rarely encounter, though Haaland has previously thrived on similar ground, scoring twice against Young Boys in 2023.

Whether that familiarity helps matters now is unclear. What is evident is that Haaland’s usual sharpness the constant threat in the box, the repeated high-quality chances has dipped after six matches in 17 days.

Managing the asset

Guardiola has been careful not to frame the situation as a crisis. “We need Erling and all of them. Erling is so important to us. We are lucky we have Erling this season for what he has done,” he said.

That importance, however, is precisely why City may need to protect him. Haaland’s early-season return of 24 goals in 23 matches justified their reliance, but even the most physically imposing striker has limits.

This is not the first time Haaland has gone quiet, and history suggests the goals will return. The question for City is whether easing his burden now rather than later is the surest way to restore the ruthless efficiency they depend on.

Sources: GOAL.com