
Erling Haaland has described Manchester City’s season as “horrific” and “boring” owing to the champions losing so many games, and said that makes winning Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace even more vital.
City, the Premier League title winners in the past four seasons, are fourth, 18 points behind the champions, Liverpool, having lost nine times. They were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff stage and by Tottenham in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
“This season has been tough,” Haaland told BBC Sport. “It is not nice to lose so many games, it is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy.
“It is 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, that says it all.”
City have 65 points, two more than sixth-placed Aston Villa, so Champions League qualification is in their hands. Haaland said: “When you have won four league titles in a row, if you don’t win five it’s not going to be a successful season. Those are the standards we have set. We haven’t done well enough in the league but we are still hoping for Champions League qualification.
“Crystal Palace are a really difficult club to play against. At Selhurst Park we drew [2-2 in December] and they started really well at the Etihad [in City’s 5-2 win last month]. They are an amazing team with quality players.”
This is the final season of Kevin De Bruyne’s glittering 11-year City career, with Haaland having formed a potent attacking partnership with the Belgian since he joined in summer 2022.
Haaland said: “It’s been a pleasure to play with him. Hopefully in the last couple of games we’re going to have a really good time. We clicked straight away from the first second and it’s going to be emotional when a good friend leaves. Maybe the best player ever to play for City – one of the best to play in the Premier League as well.
“Hopefully we can make it a good one in the last few weeks. You really can’t replace a player like him because he’s got something so special with the way he puts the ball into the box. You can see many of my goals are assisted by him and some of them have been ridiculous. We have to make the best out of it and give him a good farewell.”