Guehi warns Haaland will be 'up for it' as England plot World Cup quarter-final plan

Marc Guehi has conceded that stopping Erling Haaland in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final in Miami will be England’s most demanding task yet, warning that his Manchester City teammate will be “up for it” against the Three Lions.

Haaland arrives at the last eight in devastating form, having scored a double against Brazil in the round of 16 to bring his tournament tally to seven goals. Norway, widely tipped as dark horses before the tournament began, have justified that billing largely on the back of their striker’s brilliance.

The numbers make uncomfortable reading for England’s defensive unit. Haaland has scored against every one of England’s centre-halves when facing them in club football. Guehi himself conceded seven goals against the Norwegian in four appearances before completing a January move to City, where the pair became teammates. Ezri Konsa has faced Haaland five times and conceded just once — the most encouraging record among England’s options — while Dan Burn has also restricted him to a single goal across six meetings. Trevoh Chalobah has faced him five times, conceding twice, and is yet to come out on the winning side.

“I know he’ll be up for it,” Guehi said. “It’ll be a challenge, but it’s good to see some familiar faces and try and do our best and try and get a win. It’s going to be fun, it will be fun.”

Guehi spent 125 days training alongside Haaland at City before joining up with England for the tournament, and John Stones shares the same familiarity. Yet, as Guehi acknowledged, knowing Haaland’s tendencies offers no guarantee of containing them.

Against Brazil, Haaland outmuscled Arsenal defender Gabriel to head in the opener before beating Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker with a precise long-range effort — two goals that encapsulated his ability to hurt opponents in entirely different ways. The clips circulated widely on social media, reinforcing his status as the tournament’s standout individual.

The tactical consensus around neutralising Haaland centres on denying him service rather than attempting to win individual duels. Starving him of possession, limiting the space in behind, and forcing him to drop into areas where his finishing threat is reduced has been the most effective approach clubs have found — though even that offers no certainty.

Beyond the Haaland problem, Guehi pointed to England’s growing cohesion as a source of confidence heading into the quarter-final. “Trust. We already had it before but trust even more,” he said. “I think everybody having that bond and that trust for one another and hopefully we can keep building that up. Let’s kick on.”