Manchester City’s Most Important Star Is Not Erling Haaland

Last summer, Manchester City was praised for earning some hefty transfer fees.

Few were heralded more than the $111 million it banked for selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine had arrived from South America for only $18 million, so the sale represented a substantial profit.

But as the season began, it quickly became apparent that the boost to the balance sheet came at a significant cost to the playing squad.

Alvarez had consistently delivered goals, whether he was deputising for Erling Haaland or playing with the Norwegian striker.

As Manchester City endured a horror season, the club realised it needed to act fast to replace Alvarez.

The man they turned to in January was Egypt striker Omar Marmoush, who signed for a fee of $77 million.

A healthy return of eight goals in 25 appearances was crucial in enabling City to avoid a disastrous season and qualify for the Champions League.

His haul was arguably more impressive given that he joined a side in the midst of a crisis.

Or as his coach Pep Guardiola said at the time: “When you play good, everyone adapts quickly.

“When [the team doesn’t] play good, you need time. It’s a guy who likes to attack space to help to create. But when we play in the way we played today, everyone is better.”

This season has been trickier for Marmoush as he was injured early on.

The team has conjured up some decent form whilst he’d been absent, but the run rested almost entirely on the goals of Erling Haaland.

Marmoush’s return to fitness and the scoresheet midweek in the Carabao Cup against Swansea City was a timely reminder of how his ability to put the ball in the net is so important for City.

However, Guardiola was also impressed with his all-around play.

“With him with that system, five in the back, with centre defenders around, with Erling, he knows perfectly how to be patient,” said Guardiola of Marmoush.

“How to be in small spaces, how to be consistent, to go to the runs in behind. We have incredible good deliveries with Phil [Foden], especially with Rayan Cherki and, of course, Nico Gonzalez.

“It’s getting better and getting better. I’m happy for him more because a striker needs goals and for his confidence it will be important.

“He’s been injured a long time and of course playing in the position from Erling is important.

“We know in many games we need both and having him back is so nice.”

The importance of Marmoush is not only as a Haaland understudy, as Guardiola explained in the summer.

“He and Erling [Haaland] can play together,” he told the press in preseason.

“If we need a winger, a proper winger in the sides, there are better players. But when we need a player close to Erling in the gaps between full-back and central defence, and need the intensity, Omar is the best.”

“If we need a player close to the box, there, Omar is the best that we have alongside there. But if we need more players in the pockets, more in small spaces, more control and the other ones, there are other ones that are better.

“So it depends on what we need in these terms. If we need maybe sometimes in the moments like we had last season that the full-back is wide and the winger is inside, he’s top.”

The cutting-edge he provides is not to be underestimated. In his first appearance back from injury as a substitute against Aston Villa, he provided an assist to Erling Haaland that was ruled out for a marginal offside call.

It was a point Guardiola was keen to make in the discussions about where Marmoush’s best position might be.

“He can play No.9 potentially as well, he can play No.9,” he added.

“The numbers of Erling [Haaland] are so important, it’s impressive and he scored many of the goals we scored.

“But when we need goals, that is sometimes the case, Omar [Marmoush] is important that he’s been back. Look at the few minutes he arrived, for less than one inch is offside and makes the action that we could equalise against Aston Villa.

“So Omar has this quality, but still he is young and still has a margin to improve.”

Erling Haaland is irreplaceable for Manchester City, but the club has become so reliant on him. Marmoush’s role in relieving that pressure arguably makes him the MVP.