Reason why Manchester City striker Erling Haaland went ahead to play for Man City vs Brentford match after death of close family friend

Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland did not ask to miss Manchester City’s win over Brentford because a close family friend had died. They both played.

Pep Guardiola let Erling Haaland decide if he would play in Manchester City’s win over Brentford in the Premier League, even though the striker had just lost a close family friend.

If the scorer asked for time off, Guardiola was happy to give it to him. But that request didn’t come through, and Haaland scored two goals to help City come back from behind and beat Brentford 2-1 in a tough game.

Guardiola told his players after the game, “You have to be strong. For 90 minutes, forget about your personal life.” “If life gives you a punch in the face, it’s good to play.”

Guardiola talked about the choice that was made behind the scenes to include Haaland against Brentford. It turned out to be a lot easier than some people thought.

We made up our minds yesterday, and he was in the waiting line. It’s clear that things have been hard for his family. Each and every person finds it hard. His mood was a little low when he came back the other day. We all try to look out for each other and everyone else here. We stay close to people who are having trouble.

“He was better yesterday and was laughing.” It’s okay to forget about things and just do your job. I didn’t talk to him. I asked him how he was feeling, not if he was ready to play. He would tell me he wasn’t ready if he wasn’t.

“He’s a great weapon for teams that are one-on-one with the center back because of how well he works with Ederson and Stefan Ortega on long balls.” We have to find ways to use this as a tool. Forget about it for 93 minutes and just play.”