Haaland also demonstrated his incomparable finishing ability when he ruthlessly finished two goals as Manchester City beat Everton 2-0 in the match that he scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in only eight games in the Premier League. However, as Norwegian genius keeps making the difference, Pep Guardiola is conscious of the increased dependence of City on their star striker.
Haaland was quieter in the first half but in a performance that started softly but concluded very loudly, the second-half stockings rush Haaland lifted City back up the table and the discussion on another golden season resumed again. Nevertheless, Guardiola was quite categorical in his post-match message that the remaining members of his team should rise to the occasion only if the champions will continue to challenge all competitions.
Everton was able to contain Haaland in the first 45 minutes unusually. The 25 year old hardly had a sniff at goal as the supply lines of City were curtailed by David Moyes disciplined defensive block and tight midfield.
But as usual is the case with world-class performers, it did not take too long before he broke the shackles. Haaland had room and tempo after the breather Haaland blew out Nico O’Reilly with pinpoint cross before topping the tally with a cheesy cutback by Savinho.
Moyes, the Everton boss, could only smile afterwards “Oh! I wish he had been away! He said most managers will be reasoning so, and I cannot help but agree with the impending influence of Haaland.
Nevertheless, the defensive organisation and commendable defensive work of Everton were surpassed by 2 instances of clinical brilliance which derailed their efforts.The numbers of Haaland are confounding even in the world of big data in modern football. He has 23 goals in 13 matches with the club and country in the season now eight of them in World Cup qualifying with Norway. To Manchester City alone, he has already scored 14 goals in the Premier League and the champions league, failing to score in one month since August.
His career path remains close to extraordinary. Haaland also scored 52 goals in his first season in England making City win a historic Treble. This was succeeded by 38 and 34-goal seasons, which put him in the same conversation as such icons as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sergio Aguero.
One ex-winger at the Chelsea club Pat Nevin encapsulated it well in the BBC Radio 5 Live radio station:He was strolling about appearing to be not much interested. Then the ball bounces twice, and not once does the slightest thought of it not come to the goal. He just looks superhuman.”
The Message of Guardiola: It has to be other people.
Whereas the objectives of Haaland brought the victory, the post-match words of Pep Guardiola sounded much more pragmatic.As he said, disappointed this time that he had not scored four or five, we can not trust him alone. Wingers, midfielders who strike on the goal they must score.City has scored 17 goals in the season in the league, 13 being scored by Haaland. The manager is concerned with that imbalance. Such players as Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki have only scored once each.
The opportunities were obvious, and they need to score. On this level, they should insist on it upon themselves. We are playing to please Erling, we still need to complete as well.The victory briefly made Manchester City hit the summit of the premier league before Arsenal returned to the summit with a win over Fulham. Still, Guardiola was upbeat:
This weekend we will be sleeping in the Champions League places, that will be good, grinned he.City seem to be on course once again, having started off very shakily, losing their first two games and the third one in the three matches. Haaland is on fire, the defence is calming and the midfield is gaining rhythm.However, the underlying part remains: being brilliant is not going to be a winning factor. City require a sense of equilibrium, diversity and collective marking conditions in case they should survive Arsenal, Liverpool and a growing number of chasing teams.
Erling Haaland is on the move to redefine the potential of a striker in English football when both his goals, presence and the mentality make him look like a superhuman. However, the warning cadence in Pep Guardiola tells about the even greater picture: Manchester City have to develop, surpassing the shoulders of their talisman.
Indeed, should Haaland continue scoring this fast, he will shatter more records but the fate of City will also lie in how the rest will manage to ascend with him. On this occasion the Norwegian machine is rolling on unchecked, yet the champions are well aware that to continue along the path of success it takes to spread the burden.
What Nevin describes is a building mood Haaland is no merely a scorer, he is killer. His stature, speed and positional sense resemble that of a man with boys.
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