Erling Haaland 'bored' by Man City season ahead of FA Cup final showdown

Feargal Brennan

Erling Haaland 'bored' by Man City season ahead of FA Cup final showdown image

Manchester City star Erling Haaland has offered a brutal assessment of their 2024/25 season.

Pep Guardiola's side have fallen well short in the Premier League title race as the Catalan coach surrendered his crown to Arne Slot and Liverpool.

City are on course to finish third or fourth in the final EPL rankings - the first time they have ended up outside the top two since Guardiola's debut campaign in 2016/17 - but UEFA Champions League qualification is virtually secure.

Nine league defeats is their joint-worst record - with 10 defeats from that 2016/17 season - and Guardiola has admitted his failure to rouse players in his 'most difficult' season.

The City hierarchy is expected to heavily back Guardiola to bolster his squad over the summer following a big-spending January transfer window.

Haaland has still managed 20 EPL goals - and 30 in all competitions - but that is below his own sky-high standards as Mohamed Salah cruises to the Golden Boot.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

What did Haaland say on Man City's season?

With the Premier League granted an extra spot for the 2025/26 UCL, City should be OK for a top five slot, ahead of the final games of the season - and they can lift the FA Cup for the third time under Guardiola if they beat Crystal Palace in the May 17 final.

"This season has been tough. It's not nice to lose so many games. It's boring and not fun. That's why we need to finish well and get a trophy," as per reports from BBC Sport.

"It's a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for - and in a horrific season - we still managed to do this.

"When you've won four league titles in a row, if you don't win five, it's not a successful season.

"Those are the standards we set. We haven't done good enough in the league but still hoping for Champions League qualification."

Haaland won the FA Cup in his first season in Manchester, as Guardiola sealed a historical treble in 2022/23, but they lost out in the 2023/24 final to Manchester United.

Manchester City news and related links

Feargal Brennan

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.