Erling Haaland, the 25-year-old Manchester City striker, has candidly admitted to needing significant improvement in his performances, particularly concerning his goal-scoring record from open play. Despite leading the Premier League Golden Boot race with 21 goals this season, Haaland has managed only two penalties in his last eight league appearances, with his last open-play goal dating back to a 2-0 victory against West Ham on December 20.

Haaland’s recent impact for Manchester City, however, proved decisive in their crucial 2-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield. He provided an assist for Bernardo Silva’s 84th-minute equalizer and then secured the victory with a stoppage-time spot-kick. Nevertheless, the Norway international insists there are no excuses for his dip in form, stating, "I haven't scored enough goals since the start of this year, you can say, and I know that I need to improve." He further emphasized his commitment, adding, "I know I need to be more sharp, better at all of this, and this is something that I have to work on. I have to keep going because this is what everyone deserves and expects." Addressing potential factors like fatigue, Haaland dismissed them, asserting that "Fatigue is a lot is in the head" and focusing on staying fit and helping the team amidst a demanding schedule.

Manchester City's win at Anfield was a historic one, marking the first time the club has achieved a league double over Liverpool since the 1936-37 season. This vital victory closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal to six points. City has an opportunity to further reduce this deficit to three points with a win against Fulham on Wednesday. A potential title-deciding match against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal is set for April 18 at the Etihad. Haaland remains optimistic about City's chances in the title race, affirming, "We've seen before that the title race is not over until it's over." He stressed the importance of focusing on immediate challenges, stating his immediate priority was to recover and concentrate on the upcoming Fulham match, acknowledging that "there's still many games."