"Seemed really well when he came back" - Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland's mood after finishing as runner-up in Ballon d'Or rankings

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said that Erling Haaland is contented despite ending up in the second position behind Lionel Messi in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race.

The former Borussia Dortmund forward won the Gerd Muller trophy for scoring the most goals in the 2022-23 season. Erling Haaland made 53 appearances for Manchester City across different competitions and recorded 52 goals and nine assists.

Despite winning the treble, he missed out on the Ballon d'Or as Lionel Messi was named as the winner. The former Barcelona star guided Argentina towards World Cup glory last year and also won the Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain.

Addressing the topic, Guardiola said that the Norwegian forward was happy competing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the Ballon d'Or race. He said (via French24):

"I would say that I saw him so happy to be a contender, close to Messi and Mbappe and the rest of the players. Erling has all his career ahead of him, so he has to continue winning and say, 'OK, maybe next season I can be there."

"This has to be his target but he was really pleased to be there and he seemed really well when he came back."

The Norwegian forward has recorded 13 goals and three assists for Manchester City in 15 appearances across all competitions this season. He's also the top-scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals.

---

Pep Guardiola warns that any team can have a 'period' such as Manchester United

Pep Guardiola has said that Manchester City or any other team, can also go through a troublesome period, just like Manchester United, anytime soon. The Etihad outfit defeated Erik ten Hag's Red Devils 3-0 at Old Trafford on October 29.

A brace from Erling Haaland and a second-half strike from Phil Foden helped Manchester City cruise over United comfortably. Manchester United are currently eighth in the Premier League table with 15 points in 10 games.

Moreover, they also suffered a painful 3-0 loss against Newcastle United in the Round of 16 of the EFL Cup on November 1 (Wednesday). However, despite the dominant victory over United, Guardiola has said that his team can also go through a concerning phase. He said (via Manchester Evening News):

"I have a lot of respect for United. The period they have now, we can have it. Nobody is away from these kind of situations. We won because we played a good game but that's all."

Guardiola's side are third in the Premier League with 23 points in 10 games. Next up, they'll lock horns against Bournemouth on November 4 (Saturday).