Hat-trick hero Marmoush can ease burden on Haaland

There is not much Erling Haaland has failed to do when it comes to scoring goals since he joined Manchester City.

Fifty-two overall in his first season, including 36 in the Premier League, the most anyone has scored in a single campaign.

Thirty-eight in his second, despite being injured for almost two months, and 27 so far this term.

That incredible haul has secured the Norwegian two Golden Boots and an incredible 11 hat-tricks.

Yet none of those trebles came quicker than the 13 minutes and 54 seconds Omar Marmoush took to get his first City hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Newcastle.

After four games without scoring since his £59m winter transfer window move from German side Eintracht Frankfurt, it was an impressive and well-timed surge in form given City go to Real Madrid for their crucial Champions League play-off second leg on Wednesday with a one-goal deficit to overcome after a 3-2 loss at home.

It was also the first time any City player other than Haaland had scored three times in a game since Phil Foden did it at Brentford just over a year ago.

And that is the point.

One of the notable features of the terrible mid-season run of one win in 13 games, which wrecked any chance City had of extending their record run of four successive titles - and was mainly responsible for them ending up having to face Real Madrid so early in the Champions League - was the fact hardly anyone picked up the slack when Haaland's form dipped.

Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva all scored two goals in that time. But other than Haaland, who got four, no-one scored more.

'He comes here to make his career'

Omar Marmoush had scored 20 goals in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt this term, when he joined Manchester City

It is that issue Guardiola was trying to address when he called contacts in Germany to check up on Marmoush after sporting director Txiki Begiristain had put the Egyptian's name forward as a part of City's overall £180m January transfer window spend.

"When Txiki came to me I said, because of the season we had, the more players you bring the better," said Guardiola.

"I called some contacts in Germany because I have friends there. I asked a few things and there was a high opinion in many things; behaviour, in training sessions, goals.

"He's young and comes here to make his career. That is why the club decides. They always have the last word."

Marmoush had already demanded attention through the 20 goals he scored for Eintracht in the first half of this season.

At 26, City were buying someone approaching the prime of their career.

On the evidence of his performance against Newcastle, Marmoush drives forward with purpose when the ball is at his feet, is quick and can find space.

Evidently he presents a danger opposition defences cannot ignore – and Newcastle could not contain.

That, in turn, may take some of the focus away from Haaland.

"Everything about his game was impressive," former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day.

"Already he has a good understanding with Haaland. Newcastle couldn't live with him."

"We knew with the dynamic he would be good," added Guardiola. "In Germany he made good numbers and he had three chances last week against [Leyton] Orient but didn't score.

"He likes to attack the space. It is simple. When you play well, everybody adapts quick. Hopefully he can handle the biggest compliments because they will come now."

It was one of those rare occasions when Haaland didn't score and contributed a single assist, for James McAtee, six minutes from time.

Yet his industry was notable, leading from the front in a performance befitting his status as captain for the first time.

Haaland 'takes the responsibility' with captaincy

Normally, Guardiola stays out of the captaincy issue, preferring to let the players decide on the leadership group.

However, with club skipper Kyle Walker now at AC Milan, others who have done the job previously, Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo, on the bench and Ilkay Gundogan overlooked for the role since his return from Barcelona in the summer, Guardiola stepped in to make sure Haaland - who last month signed a new deal that runs to 2034 - took the role.

"When Kyle left, Kevin became the first but I nominated Erling, not them," said the City boss.

"When a player is going to be here 10 years, sooner or later, you need to take the responsibility. He did it for the first time."

Guardiola also played down the injury Haaland appeared to suffer in the final minutes.

The Norway international initially sat down and flexed his leg before the physios came on. It was immediately decided to take him off.

However, Haaland watched the remainder of the game from the bench and went back on to the pitch to shake hands with opposition players after the final whistle.

"When he went down, everyone was scared," added Guardiola.

"But he got up and walked away smiling as always. I didn't speak with him but the doctors didn't come with bad news. Hopefully he will be OK [for Real Madrid]."