All eyes are on Manchester City striker Erling Haaland who is the new sensation in the English Premier League and pundits are already arguing whether he could break Mohamed Salah’s all-time EPL Golden Boot Record.
Salah scored 32 goals in 38 games set in 2018. This time around, Salah is not in form and Liverpool is also struggling to keep pace with the league leaders.
But Haaland is not waiting for them as he is netting goals after goals in every match he is playing, even in the Champions League.
The questions many are asking now is how does Haaland score goals, and has he scored more goals than expected? Have City adapted their style to suit Haaland?
Applying a ratio based on Haaland’s current goal-scoring feat, he may finish the season with 1023 goals. But this is based on the assumption that he starts all games for example and appears in all the finals with City in England and Europe.
Based on his strike rate in the Premier League and Champions League this season, the Norwegian would score a mind-boggling 113 goals if he played every minute.
With City beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League and Haaland scoring a late goal for the English club, Pep Guardiola is all praise for his new hero.
Manchester City came from behind to defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 thanks to Erling Haaland’s late volley.
The win keeps Guardiola’s side atop Champions League Group G, but the coach was dissatisfied with the rhythm.
Nevertheless, Guardiola compared Erling Haaland to Johan Cruyff and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Guardiola had the opportunity to play under Dutch soccer legend and maestro Johan Cruyff at Barcelona.
He said, “Perhaps those who know me are aware of the influence of Johan Cruyff in my life as a person, a mentor, and a manager.”
He said the moment Haaland scored against the German club, it reminded him of Cruff, adding that the way the goal was scored was similar.
As a player, Cruff won the Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Modern football is said to have taken off from the 1970’s with Holland practising what was then called ‘total football’.