Pep Guardiola responds to Erling Haaland s suggestion that Manchester City have lacked hunger

LONDON – Manager Pep Guardiola responded to Erling Haaland’s comments that the Manchester City’s drop-off this season may be due to a lack of “hunger” by suggesting that his “players should talk to each other and ask themselves why”.

City had won the past four English Premier League crowns, as well as the treble in 2022-23, but failed to mount a serious title defence as Liverpool romped home to their 20th English top flight trophy with games to spare.

Haaland, who has been out with an ankle injury sustained in March, had told ESPN: “Of course, you can find excuses, injuries, many injuries at bad times, but in the end we haven’t been performing well enough.

“We haven’t had fully the hunger inside of us. I haven’t been good enough. I haven’t helped the team enough. In the end, we haven’t been good enough.”

When asked about those comments ahead of City’s league trip to bottom-placed Southampton on May 10, Guardiola said on May 9: “If it’s a feeling for Erling, the players should talk to each other and ask themselves why.

“We can do better. We’re happy for the results we have but the situation is we have to sustain it for many, many months. It’s just been for three or four weeks.”

After previously looking in danger of not qualifying for next season’s Champions League, City have seen an upturn in fortunes, moving up to third in the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup final for the third season running.

There is more good news for City after Guardiola revealed Haaland is in contention to start against the Saints after the Norwegian recovered from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for nearly six weeks.

With 21 Premier League goals, Haaland was a contender for the Golden