Manchester City’s freezing night in Norway did not end with the final whistle. In many ways, that was only the beginning. The scoreboard at Bodo told a brutal story, but the real damage came in the words that followed, words filled with anger, shame, honesty, and deep frustration. When Erling Haaland finally spoke, there was no hiding place left. No excuses. No soft language. Just raw truthIt’s embarrassing.”
That single word captured everything Manchester City were feeling after being humiliated 3–1 by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League. Not beaten by fine margins. Not undone by bad luck. Beaten because they were second best. Beaten because they did not do enough. And beaten because, as Haaland admitted, they deserved it.
For Haaland, this defeat cut deeper than most. This was his home country. His people. His climate. A place where he should feel strong, comfortable, confident. Instead, he walked off the pitch feeling exposed, frustrated, and powerless. And unlike many players who hide behind safe answers after a loss, Haaland chose to stand in front of the cameras and take the pain head-on.
He did not blame the pitch. He did not blame the referee. He did not blame the weather. He blamed himself. He blamed his teammates. He blamed the performance.
From the opening minutes, Manchester City looked uneasy. Bodo/Glimt played with courage, energy, and belief. They pressed City high, moved the ball quickly, and attacked without fear. City, by contrast, looked slow and uncertain. Passes were safe. Movements lacked conviction. The confidence that usually defines Pep Guardiola’s side was missing.
When Kasper Hogh scored the first goal, it felt like a warning. When he scored the second, it felt like a statement. City’s defence was stretched and confused, unable to cope with simple runs and direct football. Jens Petter Hauge’s stunning third goal only added to the sense that this was not a freak result. This was Bodo/Glimt outplaying Manchester City.
Rayan Cherki’s goal gave City a brief moment of hope, but even that felt hollow. The rhythm was gone. The belief was gone. And when Rodri was sent off just moments later after receiving two yellow cards in less than a minute, any remaining hope disappeared completely.Down to ten men, City were broken.
Haaland watched it all unfold from the front line, making runs, demanding the ball, fighting defenders, but getting little in return. A striker lives on service, and on this night, there was almost none. When chances did come, they were half chances, rushed moments, scraps rather than opportunities.
At full time, as Bodo/Glimt celebrated one of the greatest nights in their history, City players stood scattered across the pitch, heads down, shoulders slumped. The travelling supporters, who had made the long journey to Scandinavia, watched in silence.Haaland did not forget them.
When he spoke to TNT Sports after the match, his voice carried both anger and regret. He admitted that something was missing. Not tactics. Not effort in isolation. But something deeper.I think we did our best but there’s something that’s missing,” he said.
Those words landed heavily. Because this is a Manchester City team built to dominate Europe. Built with depth, experience, and world-class quality. And yet, according to their own star striker, something fundamental is not right.
Haaland did not shy away from responsibility. In fact, he demanded it. He named himself. He named Rodri. He named Tijjani Reijnders. The experienced players. The leaders. The ones who are supposed to carry the team when things go wrong.“I take full responsibility,” he said.
That mattered. Because this was not a young player hiding behind others. This was the face of the team standing up and saying, we failed.
He made it clear he did not want to blame individuals. But he also made it clear that standards had not been met. Manchester City, he said, cannot accept performances like this. They cannot travel across Europe and lose in this way. Not with their resources. Not with their ambition.
He admitted he did not have the answers. That honesty was striking. Players at this level are expected to explain everything. To sound confident even when they are not. Haaland did the opposite. He admitted confusion. He admitted frustration. He admitted embarrassment.And then he apologised.
Not once. But directly. To every Manchester City supporter who travelled to Norway. He called the performance embarrassing and said sorry without hesitation. That moment resonated. Because fans can accept defeat. What they struggle to accept is a lack of fight, a lack of control, a lack of identity.
Haaland acknowledged that Bodo/Glimt deserved the win. That they played incredible football. That they were better. Those are not easy words for a superstar to say, especially in his own country, after a painful night like this.But he said them anyway.
Pep Guardiola’s reaction mirrored his striker’s frustration, though his tone was calmer, more reflective. The City manager admitted that his team is fragile right now. That admission alone sent alarm bells ringing.
Manchester City and fragility are not words often used together. This is a club built on control, dominance, and mental strength. But Guardiola did not deny it. He accepted it.
He spoke about how everything seems to be going wrong since the new year. Not just results, but details. Small moments. Fine margins. Things that usually fall City’s way are now working against them.
He insisted he did not underestimate Bodo/Glimt. He praised their quality. He acknowledged how well they played. But he also pointed to the reality facing his team. Injuries. Absences. A squad stretched thin.
City were without 11 players through injury, suspension, or ineligibility. That matters. That changes dynamics. That forces players into unfamiliar roles and young players into big moments. Guardiola said that in certain departments, his team arrived weakened, and that fragility showed.
Still, he praised the fight shown after Rodri’s red card. Playing with ten men, he said, some players stepped up. That comment was telling. Because it hinted that before the red card, not enough players had done so.
The defeat in Norway did not come in isolation. It followed a heavy Manchester derby loss just days earlier. City have now won just two of their last seven games in all competitions. For a team used to dominance, this is a worrying run.
Suddenly, questions are everywhere.
Is this just a bad spell? Or something deeper? Is fatigue playing a role? Are injuries exposing a lack of depth in certain areas? Is the hunger still there after years of success?
Haaland’s comments suggest it is not just about tactics or fitness. It is about mentality. About responsibility. About standards slipping.
The Champions League situation adds further pressure. City’s hopes of a smooth passage into the knockout stages are now gone. Qualification for the last 16 will depend on the final group game against Galatasaray. There is no margin for error left.
For a club with Champions League ambitions, that is not where they want to be.
Inside the dressing room after the match, the mood was heavy. There were no loud arguments. No dramatic scenes. Just silence. The kind of silence that speaks louder than words. Players sat alone, replaying moments in their heads. Missed passes. Poor decisions. Lost duels.
Guardiola spoke, but not for long. This was not a night for speeches. It was a night for reflection.
Haaland’s words will linger. Not because they were explosive, but because they were honest. Because they came from a place of care. Because he did not distance himself from the failure.
When a player of his stature calls a performance embarrassing and says the defeat was deserved, it forces everyone to look in the mirror.
This is not a striker sulking because he did not score. This is a competitor angry because his team did not meet its own standards.
Manchester City now stand at a crossroads. They can treat this defeat as a freak result, blame injuries, and move on. Or they can take Haaland’s words seriously and confront uncomfortable truths.
The Champions League does not forgive weakness. It exposes it. And on a cold night in the Arctic Circle, Manchester City were exposed.
Haaland knows it. Guardiola knows it. The players know it. The fans know it.
What matters now is the response.
Because embarrassment can either destroy confidence or fuel change. And for a team like Manchester City, anything less than a strong response will only confirm the fears that are beginning to grow.
The night in Bodo will not be forgotten easily. Not because of the scoreline alone, but because of what it revealed.
A champion humbled. A star striker speaking from the heart. And a manager admitting fragility.In football, moments like this define seasons.Manchester City must now decide what this moment will define them as.
