Breaking records in England
Whether or not Erling Haaland fits Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola’s tactics remains up for debate, but few could doubt that the Norwegian international is making short work of the apparent strength of the Premier League by breaking records in what feels like a weekly basis for the Etihad club.
The towering striker added another two goals to his tally for Man City on Saturday, when the club beat Leicester City 3-1 in the English top-flight. That now takes Haaland to a remarkable return of 32 goals in just 28 league games for his new club this season. Which, unsurprisingly, means the striker has now equalled Mohamed Salah’s record of 32 goals in a single season. And with eight games left of the current campaign, there’s little doubt that Haaland will claim the record as his own in the coming weeks.
However, while Haaland continues to score goals with relative ease in the Premier League, there are some who still wonder whether the classic No.9 is as well suited to Man City’s possession-based tactics and a team that until very recently was used to playing with smaller players like Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus up front. So how well is Haaland doing this season and is he benefitting or being held back by Guardiola’s tactics?
Scoring goals for fun – Haaland improves on Bundesliga record
Saturday’s brace was Haaland’s 32nd league goal of the season, taking the young striker to 47 goals in all competitions for Man City this season. Remarkably, the 22-year-old talent has already surpassed the club’s record for most league goals in a single season and across all competitions he is currently averaging 1.37 goals per 90 minutes. Which, in other words, means Haaland is essentially scoring more than a goal per game for the English giants.
What’s perhaps most intriguing about this season’s numbers is that they point to a player that has taken to English football like a duck to water. And, rather than suffering from any perceived “Bundesliga tax”, Haaland’s average in the Premier League this season (1.29 goals per 90) is higher than any return he averaged over the course of two and a half seasons in the Bundesliga. If the English top-flight is indeed a higher standard than its German counterpart, it doesn’t seem to be having an impact on Haaland’s game at all.
Without or without you – Haaland scoring despite Pep’s tactics
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Haaland’s very easy transition to Premier League football is the fact that he’s thriving in a team that still doesn’t play to his strengths. And in many ways, the towering striker is scoring goals despite Guardiola’s team still playing as if they have a much smaller striker – such as Jesus or Aguero – leading the line, or no striker at all in the team.
We pointed this out earlier in the year in the video embedded above, which points out just how reliant Man City are on either Kevin de Bruyne or Phil Foden to create assists for Haaland when they’re fit and able to play. Which is in no small part down to the fact that City’s other forwards, midfielders and full-backs are still trying to adapt to the striker’s runs and style of play. Whether City will adapt their tactics and what impact that will have on Haaland’s goalscoring remains to be seen. But for now, the City striker seems more than happy to continue scoring goals anyway he can.
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