The Norway international was compelled to leave the pitch during the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth on Sunday due to an awkward impact on his ankle. He is now expected to be sidelined for approximately seven weeks. Phil Foden is the closest Manchester City player to his 21 Premier League goals this season,
with seven goals. Consequently, the Citizens require contributions from others to secure a position in the top four, as a top-four finish is still uncertain. In the absence of Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush is the individual who is most anticipated to score goals following his £59m transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in January. Micah Richards has now disclosed the specific areas in which the Egyptian excels in comparison to his Norwegian colleague.
Micah Richards asserts that Omar Marmoush is superior to Erling Haaland in terms of his ability to link play and dash in behind. The man who made 245 appearances for Manchester City, who was interviewed on The Rest is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, acknowledged that the Egypt international links play and dashes in behind more effectively than Haaland.Richards stated, “Yes, he is dissimilar.”
He is capable of approaching from behind. I believe that occasionally, when one observes Man City play, they can be quite exasperating, as everyone desires the ball to be placed at their feet. His ability to link up the play and his ability to sprint in behind are both strengths. I believe it is important for individuals to remember that Manchester City won the league without Haaland.
They are capable of winning games even in the absence of Haaland. On Sunday, Marmoush’s winning goal against Bournemouth was a prime illustration of his clever movement. He ghosted into a small area of space and successfully passed the ball beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga before the opposition defenders were even aware of the situation. In his capacity as the central striker, how does Omar Marmoush perform?
The 26-year-old has appeared on the left flank five times this season and has also made six appearances as an attacking midfielder, making him marginally more versatile than Haaland. Nevertheless, Marmoush, who is being tipped by fans to perform exceptionally in the absence of Haaland, appears to be most effective when playing in the centre, which is a fortunate development for Guardiola.
In 24 games as a central striker this season, the individual from Cairo has scored 17 goals and contributed 11 assists. Therefore, despite the fact that Ian Wright holds Marmoush in high regard, he may not possess the physicality of Haaland. However, his adept movement and link-up play could add a new dimension to the Manchester City team.