Man City have two players who can fix glaring problem vs Manchester United

Manchester City need more goals from players other than Erling Haaland and two candidates could step up to the plate.

Jeremy Doku needs to add more goals to his game this season

It seemed to sum up one of Manchester City's issues that in defeat at Brighton, seven of their 12 shots came from the boot or the head of Erling Haaland.

That doesn't always have to be a problem, and the Norwegian should have probably scored three rather than just one. Had he done so, the outcome would have been very different.

But an overreliance on Haaland's goals has been an issue for this team recently, as the stats show. Yes, there is a caveat that City's approach has changed since Haaland arrived in the summer of 2022, but the threat is also occasionally too easy to stop. There aren't enough goals coming from other areas of the pitch.

Haaland scored 31 in all competitions last season (before the Club World Cup), but Phil Foden was the only other player to hit double figures, and he managed 10. It's not easy to separate cause and effect, but in 2023/24, four City players hit double figures, and three scored 19 or more.

Six players scored 10 or more the season before that, and seven were in double figures in 2021/22. So the drop-off is noticeable. So far this season, Haaland has scored three of City's five goals in the Premier League.

The reliance on Haaland also means City's total number of goals dropped off last season, when they scored 72 in the Premier League. The three seasons before that brought 96, 94, and 99 goals. Haaland got 22 last year, and even if he adds another 10 and gets to a hugely impressive 32, that still leaves 12 to 17 goals from elsewhere to hit those mid-90s figures again.

So, Pep Guardiola's question will be where those goals come from Foden and Omar Marmoush each scored seven in the Premier League last season, but Foden is still plagued by fitness problems, and Marmoush has had a slow start to this season.

Mateo Kovacic got six in the Premier League last term and Josko Gvardiol five, but both are out injured. Kevin De Bruyne got four, but he has left the club.

Someone has to step up in front of goal. Guardiola certainly needs more from wide areas and Savinho and Jeremy Doku have to up their numbers from last season.

Doku, 23, certainly has the game to add more goals and assists. He's had a slow start to the season, but speaking while away on international duty with Belgium last week, he said he was paying more attention to his stats this season. He should be aiming to contribute at least 10 goals in all competitions.

“I’m not yet fully in form. I’ve always been critical of myself, I know when I’m good and then don’t play afterwards, it’s not in my hands," said Doku.

“But I also say when I’m not good, and I know I haven’t been in the first three matches. But I know it will come quickly and everything will be fine… This season, I want to work on my stats.

“Football isn’t just about stats, but they matter. I want to find myself in the penalty area more often.”

The other player who could make a difference in this area is Tijjani Reijnders. His £46million move from AC Milan came on the back of a breakthrough season in front of goal, when he got 15 in all competitions. The way he took his goal at Wolves on the opening day was impressive and he scored twice in the pre-season win against Palermo.

He has struggled in back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, but takes up the kind of positions that would suggest goals will follow. If he plays in a midfield three alongside Rodri and Bernardo Silva, then the onus will be on the Dutchman to score the bulk of goals from central areas.

When City return to action against Manchester United this week, they will be desperate to get back on track, but to make this season a really successful one, they need a couple of players to start scoring more goals.