After two electrifying seasons, Premier League defenses are still searching for answers on how to stop Erling Haaland. Since his arrival at Manchester City, the Norwegian striker has been a scoring machine, showing no signs of slowing down with four goals in his first two games this season alone.
Haaland’s recent exploits—a goal against Chelsea followed by a hat-trick against Ipswich Town—have brought his tally to an astonishing 67 goals in just 68 Premier League appearances. This impressive feat has led Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to draw comparisons to the likes of football legends.
“The numbers are ridiculous – he can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Messi,” Guardiola remarked following Haaland’s latest hat-trick. “The numbers are unbelievable at his age.”
Haaland’s record-breaking form has already seen him become the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals, achieving the milestone in just 48 games, a whole 17 matches quicker than the previous record-holder, Andrew Cole. Should Haaland continue his prolific scoring run, he could become the first player since Thierry Henry in 2006 to claim three consecutive Golden Boot awards.
Former England striker Gary Lineker sees Haaland as a throwback to “an old-school center forward,” highlighting his blend of physicality and goal-scoring prowess.
“He’s got that all-round combination: he’s very fast, he’s big, he’s strong. He is very difficult to mark and he’s prolific,” Lineker, a prominent BBC broadcaster and host of “The Rest Is Football” podcast, told CNN Sport.
“He doesn’t worry about missing, which is one of the keys to goalscoring. He misses chances, but to be a really good goalscorer, you have to miss a lot of chances because that means you’re getting a lot of chances and will score if you’re a good finisher, which he is.”
With Haaland leading the charge, Manchester City continues to set the pace in the Premier League, leaving defenses in his wake and fans in awe of his extraordinary talent.
Haaland will be back on the pitch for Manchester City’s Premier League game against West Ham on Saturday. The club has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup since his arrival, while further trophies seem an inevitability.
Remarkable scoring records for RB Leipzig and then Borussia Dortmund saw Haaland establish himself as one of the best strikers in Europe, and with City, he has strengthened his case for one day winning the ballon d’or as the world’s best male player.
Lineker predicts this season will mirror the previous four, with Manchester City once again facing stiff competition from Arsenal, last year’s runner-up, who finished just two points shy of the top spot.
“City are, without a doubt, incredible,” Lineker says. “They’re like a machine, consistently grinding out result after result. I expect Arsenal to push them hard once more, and I doubt there will be much separating them, just like last season.”
“Arsenal is a fantastic team, well-managed and capable of giving City a serious challenge. If any team can compete with City, it’s Arsenal. Still, you have to consider City the favorites… only a brave person would bet against them.”
As for City’s manager, Pep Guardiola is in the final year of his contract and could depart at the season’s end. After successful stints filled with trophies at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the future of Guardiola’s coaching career remains uncertain. An international coaching role could be on the horizon, and Lineker has a particular wish for Guardiola’s next move after Gareth Southgate’s departure from the England national team.
“If Pep wants a new challenge or some time off, I hope he considers managing a national team starting with the letter ‘E,’” Lineker says with a smile. “That would be quite nice. A bit of wishful thinking, perhaps.”
