Hotshot Haaland's return for in-form City gives Pep selection dilemma

Liverpool's defeat at Arsenal yesterday evening has handed the initiative in the Premier League title race back to Manchester City.

And now the defending champions are introducing last season's record-breaking Golden Boot winner into the mix.

Erling Haaland's 36 goals in the 2022-23 campaign were fundamental to City winning the league for the third straight year, while he had already added another 14 this term before suffering a foot injury in December.

But Pep Guardiola's side have improved in the Norwegian's absence and are currently on a run of eight consecutive wins in all competitions.

With Haaland set to be restored to Guardiola's starting XI at Brentford tonight, we analyse how crucial his return really is.

Back in the mix

Haaland remains the joint-highest goalscorer in the Premier League despite having been out of action for nearly two months.

And although the 23-year-old striker has failed to find the net, firing off two efforts in a 19-minute cameo against Burnley last Wednesday was a reminder of the danger he poses inside the penalty area.

Several more goals are an inevitability between now and the end of the season with City on the hunt for their fourth consecutive Premier League triumph.

But considering their impressive recent form has come without their talismanic forward, the question lingers as to how much they have truly missed him.

With and without

Haaland's return cannot be considered a problem for Guardiola.

But it is notable that City won five and drew one of their six league games following the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in December, the last time the Norwegian started.

And that points per game record of 2.67 compares favourably to a tally of exactly two up to and including the Villa loss.

The European champions have also improved their scoring rate across the last six matches — 2.5 goals per game a marginal uptick on 2.4 beforehand — and secured both the Club World Cup trophy and their first ever win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the FA Cup in that time.

Selection headache

A feature of City's play in Haaland's absence has been the form of Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez.

Foden has registered one league goal and four assists since the defeat at Villa Park, enjoying life in the No10 role that has always appeared his destiny.

Alvarez, meanwhile, has scored seven goals in his last seven games in all competitions from his out-and-out centre forward position.

And Guardiola admitted after the Burnley win that a fully-fit squad provides him with a quandary. 

He said: "They are exceptional players. It gives me more of a headache for selection but they need to compete with each other."

De Bruyne effect

But Haaland's return coinciding with that of Kevin De Bruyne's comeback is what will truly send waves of fear through the rest of the Premier League.

While City may have been easier on the eye during the recent period of playing smaller, more intricate attackers, the combination of De Bruyne's passing and Haaland's movement is lethal.

The Belgian teed up 13 of the striker's 52 goals in last year's debut campaign, with crosses from the right-hand side doing much of the damage.

And Brentford will need to stamp out the duo's telepathic understanding to stand a chance of keeping City quiet this evening.