Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has once again made light of Erling Haaland's 'illness' in the lead-up to the highly anticipated Premier League clash between his former team, Liverpool, and Manchester City. The match is set to take place at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Two of English football's biggest rivals are set to go head-to-head in Manchester. Following Arsenal's slip-up against West Ham, Liverpool aims to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. On the other hand, Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to push further into the top four.
The game comes after a disappointing 3-1 loss for Man City against Real Madrid in Spain where Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick. Notably absent from this Champions League second leg was Erling Haaland due to what Carragher humorously referred to as [Antonio] 'Rudiger-itis' during his punditry duty on CBS Sports.
Guardiola responds to Carragher’s joke
When informed about Carragher's comment, Guardiola had an interesting response which added another layer of intrigue ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, said:
"Oh, God. Did he say that? Jamie Carragher said that? Oh God. Don't laugh. I don't know why he makes that suspicious - you know that?
"Did he say that Haaland didn't want to play the game? It's not nice - and it's not true. He was crazy to play the game. He had a problem with his knee and he could not play."
Another dig at Haaland
Carragher didn't hold back when he was back on punditry duty for Sky Sports ahead of this Premier League face-off between Reds and City. When host David Jones asked Micah Richards if Norway striker would be playing, Richards jokingly responded: "Ask Jamie," leading Carragher to quip: "Listen, that illness may have carried over to Virgil van Dijk-itis."
Despite these comments being made in jest by Carragher, they highlight an underlying anticipation regarding whether or not Haaland will play in this crucial match. If he does, Liverpool's stalwart defender Virgil van Dijk will be ready and waiting.
While Carragher's comments are clearly tongue-in-cheek, they add a layer of humor and intrigue to the build-up of this important Premier League clash. Regardless of whether Haaland plays or not, fans can look forward to an exciting match between two top-tier teams in English football.
