Erling Haaland has warned his Manchester City teammates that they cannot search for excuses to defend their bitterly disappointing season.

There is still a chance for City to finish the campaign in second place, but it’s evident that they have not met the high expectations set for them. Pep Guardiola’s team trails champions Liverpool by 18 points, with a downturn beginning in late October leading to only one victory in 13 matches across various competitions.

The team’s Carabao Cup journey ended in the fourth round, and their Champions League performance was so disappointing that they missed automatic progression to the knockout phase, ultimately being defeated by Real Madrid. Nevertheless, they still have a chance to claim the FA Cup title.

“This season has been challenging,” Haaland shared with BBC Sport. “Losing so many matches is unpleasant. It’s tedious and not enjoyable. That’s why it’s crucial for us to finish strong and secure a trophy.”

“It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this.”

Many have pointed to City’s battle with significant injuries as an explanation for their struggles. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri was struck down by a season-ending ACL injury in September, several centre-backs have been plagued by fitness issues all season and Haaland himself has missed over a month with an ankle injury, but the Norway international is adamant City cannot hide behind their injury record.

“We haven’t been stable enough this season and we haven’t won enough games, it is as simple as that,” he continued. “We have to perform better in the big games. We haven’t won enough consecutive games.

“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses. Every single one of us hasn’t been good enough and we haven’t been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren’t going to win games in this country because it’s so hard.”