Erling Haaland has described Manchester City’s campaign as “horrific” and “boring” in a scathing assessment delivered just days before the FA Cup final.

The Norwegian striker admitted the season has fallen well below expectations, with Pep Guardiola’s side relinquishing their Premier League crown and failing to progress beyond the group stages of the Champions League.

Despite the disappointment, Haaland remains hopeful that City can salvage something from the campaign by defeating Crystal Palace in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

“This season has been tough,” Haaland said. “It is not nice to lose so many games – it is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and win a trophy.

“It’s become a good habit to reach Wembley and it’s always important to win trophies. In a horrific season, we’ve still managed to reach the final – that says a lot.”

City currently trail Premier League champions Liverpool by 18 points, and Haaland insists there are no excuses for the team’s failure to meet expectations.

“When you’ve won four league titles in a row, not winning a fifth means the season isn’t a success,” he stated. “Those are the standards we’ve set for ourselves.

“We’ve not done well enough in the league, although we’re still hoping to qualify for the Champions League. We’ve lacked consistency and simply haven’t won enough matches.”

Haaland also pointed to City’s struggles in key fixtures. “We need to perform better in the big games. We’ve failed to put together a strong run of wins. That’s cost us.”

While injuries have plagued the squad, the 23-year-old refused to use that as an excuse: “Yes, we’ve had injuries, but we shouldn't look for excuses. Every single one of us hasn’t been at our best.

“When you're not at your best in this league, you don’t win matches – it’s that simple. It’s such a competitive environment.”

City now turn their focus to Saturday’s final, hoping to end a disappointing season with a piece of silverware to soften the blow of missing out on major honours.