Both Haaland and manager Enzo Maresca see room for improvement after Manchester City’s first league defeat of the season. Nicolas Jackson scored twice for Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday, while Haaland briefly levelled in the second half.
The Norwegian striker did not disguise his frustration, arguing that City had made avoidable mistakes in their approach to the match.
“We are not tactically smart enough in what we do. We have to know when to go and when to keep the ball. We make some rookie mistakes. I’m disappointed,” Haaland told Viaplay.
He also insisted that the players had to examine their own contributions rather than look elsewhere for explanations.
“We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror, and that includes me. There are things I could have done better today.”
Maresca was disappointed with the result but felt City had not deserved to lose. He said the team would need to learn from the defeat rather than dwell on it.
“We try again next season. I can only analyse today, and I don’t think we deserved to lose – but we lost, and you can always learn something. There are definitely things we could have done better today,” the Italian said.
Jackson put Villa ahead in the sixth minute after capitalising on a defensive error. Haaland headed City level seven minutes into the second half, but the hosts regained the lead on the hour when Jackson scored again.
The result ended City’s bid to make it eight consecutive league wins at the start of the campaign. They had entered the match looking to extend a flawless run but were punished for mistakes at both ends of the pitch.
Brighton are next up for City in the Premier League. Haaland’s comments make clear that the response must involve more than simply moving on from the result: City need sharper judgement about when to press, when to retain possession and how to avoid giving opponents openings.
Aston Villa’s aggressive start had put City under pressure early, and the visitors were unable to recover control after Jackson’s second goal.