One of the highlights of Manchester City’s impressive start to the season has been the form of Erling Haaland. City’s star striker has scored 9 goals in City’s opening four Premier League games. It is an absurd statistic that includes back-to-back hat tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham. Haaland followed that with a brace against Brentford last Saturday. Speaking before City’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan Pep Guardiola was full of praise for City’s star striker.
Speaking during his pre-game press conference ahead of tonight’s clash with Inter Milan Pep Guardiola was asked about Erling Haaland’s start to the new season. The City manager was asked by the media if he was surprised by Haaland’s strong start to the season: “A little bit yeah. You know why? I played 11 years and scored 11 goals. This guy, in four games, scored nine goals!”
Pep Guardiola added that Haaland’s fitness was a key part of his strong start to the new season. He added: “The difference is that last season, he feels his body. [He had] niggles and was tired, but now he feels better. In first season, he came from Dortmund with problems, especially in the first month. So far this season, he feels clean and has no problems – I don’t know in one or two months’ time. I don’t expect that every game he will score one or two goals. When a player, not just him, has that feeling, they can perform at their best.”
“The impact has been huge, on and off the pitch… especially in the locker room” 🧘♂️
Pep Guardiola comments on the influence of Erling Haaland as the Norwegian striker edges closer to a century of goals for Manchester City…
🎙️ @Sports_EmmaD pic.twitter.com/JpeMtsbjBI
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 18, 2024
Erling Haaland will be looking to score his 100th goal for Manchester City against Inter Milan tonight.
After his brace against Brentford last weekend Erling Haaland has now scored 99 goals in 103 games for Manchester City. Since arriving at the club for Borussia Dortmund, he has set about obliterating almost every goal-scoring record in the book. If he can score his 100th goal tonight he will shatter yet another record that can be seen below.
But more importantly for Haaland and Pep Guardiola, they will be looking to start Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League campaign with a victory. If Haaland doesn’t score and City claims all three points at the Etihad tonight, that is all that will matter to Manchester City, Pep Guardiola and their star striker.
Despite this Erling Haaland has made a tremendous start to the new season. He has rightly earned the praise of Pep Guardiola and the wider football public. But it’s only early days in the 24/25 season and Haaland will be hoping to carry this form throughout the entire season.
