Haaland now has 17 goals in all competitions in just 13 appearances, including a brace in his last match against Bournemouth.
Haaland disputes Guardiola comparison.
No doubt flattered by this comparison from Guardiola, who saw Messi go from promising young talent to legendary superstar during his four years at the helm of FC Barcelona, ​​Haaland preferred to refute the idea that he could compete with either of these two football giants.
” No not at all ! “, he insisted when journalists questioned him about Guardiola’s comments. “No one can match them, so no…”
He added: “ I’m just Erling, a goal-scoring Norwegian. It won’t change. »
Guardiola: Of course he is at the level of Messi and Ronaldo.
After Haaland’s double against Bournemouth, Guardiola played down the idea that Manchester City were too reliant on the Norwegian striker to score goals. No other player in the squad has scored more than one goal in the Premier League this season, and their second highest scorer is an own goal (2).
“It’s the same when you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is enormous,” said the coach.
“Have you seen his stats? Of course he is at that level. Messi and Ronaldo have been doing it for 15 years, but this is something else. His first goal, his shot, we feel that he is determined to score. He has this thirst for victory. It’s exceptional. I’ve already said how easy he is to train and manage.
I’m sometimes demanding of Haaland, but he’s open-minded. He lives for goals and sometimes the pressure can’t last 90 minutes, but that’s normal. “Without him it would be difficult, to be honest, but we are lucky that Omar is back and we have fit players, it’s a good thing.
Haaland on course for over 60 goals this season
Haaland already holds the record for goals in a Premier League season, with 36 goals in the 2022-2023 season. At his current rate of 1.3 goals per game in the league, he is on track to reach 49 goals if he maintains this level, which would be a remarkable achievement. No Premier League player has surpassed the 40-goal mark in a single season since Jimmy Greaves, who scored 41 goals for Chelsea in the 1960-61 season. The all-time record for goals in the English Championship is 60, set by Everton legend Dixie Dean, and has stood for almost a century, since the 1927-1928 season.
