Erling Haaland: Pep Guardiola Makes Bold Messi, Ronaldo Comparison After Bournemouth Win

Pep Guardiola has claimed that Erling Haaland is performing astatine nan level of highest Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo aft nan Manchester City striker’s 17th extremity of nan play successful only 13 games.

After struggling pinch fittingness past play and seeing his extremity output autumn successful successive years since a record-breaking debut run pinch City successful 2022–23, it feels arsenic though Haaland is very overmuch backmost to his champion successful nan first 3 months of nan caller campaign.

His 13 Premier League goals, nan past 2 of which came during Sunday’s 3–1 triumph complete Bournemouth, is already much than half of his last tally (22) successful nan title past play pinch 28 games still to go.

City’s adjacent apical scorer successful nan Premier League this play is bizarrely Maxime Estève, who plays for Burnley and was responsible for 2 ain goals erstwhile nan teams met successful September. No different City player has netted much than erstwhile successful nan league—Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly each person 1 extremity each.

It has brought questions complete imaginable overreliance connected Haaland to find nan net, but Guardiola insisted aft nan Bournemouth crippled that it’s only earthy erstwhile 1 subordinate is performing for illustration Messi.

“The past crippled we played without him against Swansea and scored 3 goals,” nan City leader remarked, referencing past week’s Carabao Cup victory erstwhile nan Norwegian was near retired owed to a insignificant fittingness concern—he perchance would person been rested anyway.

No different Man City subordinate has scored much than 1 Premier League extremity truthful far. / Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

“It’s for illustration erstwhile you play pinch Messi aliases Ronaldo, their power is truthful big,” Guardiola added. “Of course, we request nan goals from Phil, Tijjani and nan different ones who had nan chances. You spot nan numbers of [Haaland]? Of people he’s that level.

“The quality is Messi and Ronaldo person done it for 15 years, but this is nan level. The first extremity [against Bournemouth], nan measurement he shoots nan ball, it’s for illustration ‘I americium going to score.’ He has that hunger. It’s top. I’ve said galore times really incredibly coachable and manageable he is.

“I americium reliable sometimes pinch him, but he is open-minded. He lives for nan goals and sometimes nan unit cannot prolong 90 minutes, but that’s normal. Without him it would beryllium reliable to beryllium honest, but we are fortunate that Omar [Marmoush] is back, and we person fresh players, it’s good.”

Haaland already holds nan grounds for astir goals successful a azygous Premier League season—he racked up 36 during nan 2022–23 campaign. At his existent complaint of scoring successful 2025–26, he could feasibly go nan first subordinate successful Premier League history to spell complete 40 goals successful a azygous season. With an mean of 1.3 goals per crippled done 10 appearances truthful far, Haaland could moreover get to nan brink of 50.

In nan full 137-year history of English apical formation football, only 9 players person ever scored 40 aliases much convention goals successful a azygous season. All but 1 of those came during nan inter-war years (1918–1939) erstwhile greater attraction was connected attacking and teams crossed nan convention scored much goals. But nan astir caller to do it was Jimmy Greaves (41) for Chelsea successful 1960–61, 64 years ago.

Yet moreover Haaland’s astonishing output isn’t apt to situation Dixie Dean’s all-time azygous play convention record, which stands astatine nan 60 goals he scored for Everton during 1927–28. Tom ‘Pongo’ Waring’s 49 for Aston Villa successful 1930–31, 2nd connected nan all-time list, could travel nether threat, though.

Across each competitions, Haaland’s career-best tally to day is 52 from 2022–23. City will play astatine slightest 35 much games betwixt nan Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and apt rather a fewer connected apical if they advancement successful Europe and nan home cups arsenic expected. If he tin support it up, which is simply a large inquire but nan existent litmus trial for Messi/Ronaldo levels, his existent mean output (also 1.3 crossed each competitions) could output 62, assuming only remaining guaranteed games.

All-Time Single Season Top League Scorers successful English Football

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