Soccer Football - Champions League - Group G - Sevilla v Manchester City - Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain - September 6, 2022 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland in action
Ex-BBC Radio Leeds pundit Noel Whelan has shared a ‘scary fact’ on in-form Manchester City summer signing Erling Haaland.
The Lowdown: Unstoppable Haaland…
The Norway superstar has been unplayable since putting pen to paper on a move to England.
Haaland is already into double figures across all competitions, scoring 13 goals across eight matches in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The towering frontman most recently grabbed headlines with a sensational, acrobatic finish in the dying minutes to hand Pep Guardiola’s side a precious 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad.
His pace, movement and strength are quite simply unmanageable at times for defenders, not least his positional awareness inside the six yard box.
The Latest: Whelan makes ‘scary’ Haaland claim…
If Haaland continues in this vain, we could be witnessing the next top flight great in the making, with former Leeds United striker making a ‘scary fact’ claim involving the 22-year-old.
He explained:
“The boy’s an animal – a goalscoring animal.
“When you look at him, he is just the typical, all-round, moulded striker.
“The size of him, the power, the strength, the way he can score with both feet. He will be a nightmare for every centre-half.
“He’s putting a statement out to every club. If you’re not on your game, this kid could score a hattrick week-in, week-out.
“They’ve not even gotten fully used to his game yet. That’s the scary fact.
“They’ve only had a short time together. This team will only get more used to his runs, where he likes the ball.
“He could be knocking on 20-plus league goals before Christmas. That is a very scary fact, but a very true one.”
The Verdict: Definitely…
Given he is already on 13, it’s certainly do-able from Haaland’s perspective to hit 20 before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins, though whether that amount comes only in the league is open for debate.
The former Red Bull Salzburg sensation has been simply unbelievable over the first month of his City career, and what’s scarier still, Haaland is only in his early 20s.
If anything, the Scandinavian superstar can only get better, a truly frightening prospect for the English top flight and Guardiola’s rivals.
About the Author
