As bargains go, Manchester City’s £51.2 million to bring Erling Braut Haaland to the Premier League has proven a masterstroke, know his stats and goals this season
The prolific youngster has defied the typical rise to limelight as his goalscoring ratio forced everyone to take notice. After maintaining his scoring feats and consistently improving as a player, Haaland is smashing his latest challenge in the most popular league in the world.
In hindsight, the 22-year-old was made to score goals on English soil having been ‘born’ in Leeds. Or could he have rather been created in a laboratory as many might think?
Erling Haaland Stats, Total Goals This Unbelievable Season And What Will Come Next For Him
After compiling data from a list of best sportsbooks, we discuss Erling Haaland’s incredible season and what is to come for football’s next goalscoring superstar.
The 2020 Golden Boy has improved back-to-back Premier League champions Man City with his phenomenal goalscoring record having already scored 15 goals in nine Premier League games and 20 goals in all competitions. It makes mockery of any adaptation needed to get used to the English top-flight – or Pep Guardiola’s complex tactical setup – as Haaland is already eight goals behind last season’s league-leading total.
His Champions League debut brace also made him the first player to score 25 goals in his first 20 appearances, since stretching that unbelievable record to 28 in 22 games.
There had been doubts about his suitability to Guardiola’s high-possession team or the Premier League’s intensity but Haaland silenced those concerns with a clinical brace on matchday one against West Ham.
To the amazement of the watching world, Haaland has not stopped scoring since and even became the first Premier League player to score a hat-trick in three consecutive home games after the 6–3 thrashing of derby rivals Man United.
The Norwegian thus became the quickest player to score three Premier League hat-tricks, doing so in an incredible 40 league games less than Michael Owen’s previous record of 48, set in 1998.
This is a level of marksmanship never before seen in the English top-flight, and the public perception has been a resounding bow of appreciation.
Ex-Man United defender Rio Ferdinand admitted he was wrong in his prior assessment of Haaland:
“No one knew what he would do, I am a big enough man to admit this guy is doing different bits now, it’s unheard of, it’s stupid really,” Ferdinand said.
“I was concerned he wouldn’t score the type of goals he did before at City, with the team having possession all the time.
“But, his instinct and understanding of the game said do not question me ever again.”
Haaland’s crazy numbers
Oddly, only Bournemouth have been able to stop Haaland from scoring although he laid on an assist in the 4-0 win. It remains to be seen exactly how any team can stop a player who has scored 106 goals in 102 club games since he moved to the top five European leagues.
The centre-forward is averaging a goal every 14 touches and City have found the perfect finisher for their dominant side. Crucially, he is also bringing the best out of his teammates who know they can rely on his hunger, speed, intelligence and supreme physicality to make things happen
City’s creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne now has nine assists and is already the most creative player in the club’s Premier League history with 94 assists. Par for the course, five of his 11 assists so far this season have been for you-know-who and he is currently on a streak of assists in his last six games.
It is apparent that Haaland will continue to keep the bar high as long as he is fit and healthy, and the rest of Premier League is already dreading the six-week rest awaiting the Norway international during the FIFA World Cup.
The burly striker is set to be conditioned for the season’s run-in and the prospect of shattering more scoring records is frightening. Guardiola and City will be hoping he can remain available to wreak havoc on their rivals.
For Haaland, there are as few signs of him slowing down as there are of any defense being able to stop him.
Only nine games in, the Premier League has accepted its new goal king. He was built to score and this City team is seemingly designed for his perfection
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