Manchester City’s star player, Erling Haaland, left his manager, Pep Guardiola, fuming during their game against Leeds United on Saturday with a magnanimous gesture.
Haaland ignored Guardiola’s instructions to take a penalty kick and instead handed the ball to his teammate, Ilkay Gundogan, who had already scored two goals in the first half. Although Guardiola was yelling from the sidelines for Haaland to take the penalty kick, the Norwegian striker glanced at his manager before giving the ball to Gundogan to complete his hat-trick.
The move angered Guardiola, who was hoping for Haaland to score the penalty kick they had been awarded in the closing minutes. Unfortunately, Gundogan’s effort was saved by the diving goalkeeper, Joel Robles. Guardiola later commented on the situation, stating that “a taker is a taker” and that at 2-0, it was a business situation where they could not afford to forget it.
Despite Guardiola’s disappointment, Gundogan claimed that he was confident in his ability to score the penalty kick, and Haaland’s gesture showed what kind of person he is. The Norwegian striker had several chances to score goals during the game but was unable to convert them. Nevertheless, Guardiola praised his performance, saying that Haaland had played an outstanding game.
With Manchester City pursuing their third successive Premier League title and the win extending their lead over second-placed Arsenal to four points, Guardiola’s mood improved somewhat later on. He commented that he wanted the taker who had more routine and was a specialist to take the penalty kick, especially in England, where the game is never over.
Manchester City will next head to Real Madrid for the first leg of their 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League semi-final fixture on Tuesday, as they continue their pursuit of the treble.
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