Gary Neville noticed Erling Haaland complaining to Jeremy Doku as Manchester City recorded a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
The 48-year-old spotted the disagreement in the 42nd minute while on commentary duty alongside Peter Drury.
So, what happened between Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well – just before the interval – the Belgium international raced clear, finding himself with Julian Alvarez on his right, and the Norway international on his left.
Doku opted to play in the Argentina international – ignoring Haaland in doing so – before the South American could only blaze the ball wide.
After that chance was squandered, Neville noticed the Manchester City No.9 shouting at the Belgian for his decision.
The Manchester United legend said: “He is not happy. Haaland is saying to Doku, you should have played me in.”
In our view, the Manchester City No.11 made the right call – Alvarez had more space around him, and the angle to play that particular pass through was clearer.
Despite impressing individually, Haaland and Doku did somewhat struggle to connect against Jürgen Klopp’s side, although the brilliance of Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden helped the attack stay fluid.
How Haaland and Doku have performed together at Manchester City
While Doku has impressed significantly since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the Belgian has actually struggled to deliver for Haaland directly as the statistics show, and vice versa.
In 12 appearances together before today’s draw against Liverpool, neither forward have assisted the other for a goal – as Transfermarkt shows.
Doku and Haaland playing together does not tend to negatively affect results – however – as Manchester City still averaged 2.33 points per game in these 12 outings.
Ultimately, this connection will surely come in time, especially with Pep Guardiola working with the duo on a daily basis in training.
