Erling Haaland didn’t start in Manchester City’s lineup for their Premier League match against Aston Villa on Wednesday. But it didn’t stop the team from winning, with Phil Foden scoring three goals in a 4-1 victory at Etihad Stadium.
Haaland, who is the league’s top scorer, was on the bench for the game, despite City manager Pep Guardiola calling him the “best striker in the world” just the day before.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, now a TV analyst, had criticized Haaland after he didn’t score in City’s previous match against Arsenal.
Guardiola defended Haaland, but still chose not to start him in what could have been an important game for City’s title defense. Kevin de Bruyne was also on the bench as a substitute.
“We put the players out to win, not just to give them rest,” Guardiola said after the match. “We need fresh legs, especially since we played against Arsenal just three days ago. We needed the rest because of the busy schedule.”
With this win, City moved level on points with Liverpool, who are in second place. Arsenal climbed to the top of the table after winning 2-0 against Luton at Emirates Stadium.
Guardiola’s team will play against Crystal Palace next on Saturday before facing Real Madrid away in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.
