Manchester City striker Erling Haaland claimed the team’s dramatic dip in form this season came due to a “lack of hunger” from the squad.

While City have ended the campaign in solid form, the middle of the season was littered with miserable performances and shock defeats, including a run of just one win in 13 games between October and December.

Few could comprehend the extent of City’s decline, which Haaland argued was down to a loss of “hunger” from a squad which has become accustomed to winning games and lifting trophies over the past few seasons.

“Of course, you can find excuses, injuries, many injuries at bad times, but in the end we haven’t been performing well enough,” Haaland told ESPN.

“We haven’t had fully the hunger inside of us. I haven’t been good enough. I haven’t helped the team enough. In the end, we haven’t been good enough.”

Haaland’s comments were put to manager Pep Guardiola ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with bottom side Southampton. The boss admitted his surprise as he challenged his players to work out why they had allowed their standards to drop.

“If it’s a feeling for Erling, the players should talk to each other and ask themselves why,” he said.

“We can do better. We’re happy for the results we have but the situation is we have to sustain it for many, many months. It’s just been for three or four weeks.”

Haaland is one of many City players to have missed a significant period of the campaign through injury. The Norwegian striker has not turned out for his side since March but is ready to make his comeback in the final weeks of the season.

“I’m feeling good and moving good and I’m ready,” he vowed.