Kev: Haaland is already helping us to win games
AMONG the early achievements of Erling Haaland at City, surprising Kevin de Bruyne must count as one of his most impressive impacts.
It takes a lot to shake the Blues’ unflappable playmaker, a Premier League veteran who sees more than almost anyone else on a football pitch. What most in the game still marvel at, De Bruyne seemingly produces as routine through the season.
City have tried their hardest to play down either side of the mania around Haaland as he settled at his new club, keen not to raise expectations even higher or spend every interview talking about the
Norwegian. The Belgian midfielder has been part of that, and has appeared bemused by some of the fixation around City’s new No.9 when he has stopped to speak to reporters after the first two games of the season.
To hear De Bruyne talk of Haaland’s exceptional quality is precisely why there is so much fascination around the striker, though.
It takes a lot to impress a squad that have won four of the last five Premier League titles, and yet the 22-year-old has already done exactly that.
It hit De Bruyne at West Ham last week. The midfielder saw Ilkay Gundogan knock a ball far ahead of Haaland in the penalty area and began to steady himself for the goalkeeper to launch the ball back onto the City half. Instead, Haaland won the foot race and the keeper could not help but take him out, earning City a penalty that the striker picked himself up for to stroke home the opening goal. Haaland’s involvement in the City team and how he would adapt to a Pep Guardiola team has been a major point of interest, given the Blues’ success in recent years without a conventional striker. The forward’s scarcity of touches was highlighted as an area that needed work in the Community Shield defeat to Liverpool, only to be forgotten when he scored two at West Ham.
After the 4-0 win over Bournemouth where Haaland didn’t score,
Haaland helps the team in many aspects, he didn’t complain so it’s fine - he did well Kevin de Bruyne
some again raised his lack of touches – fewer than 10.
One of those provided the assist for the first goal, however, while his movement for the second distracted a terrified Bournemouth defence enough to give De Bruyne a clear run on goal to score.
Don’t expect anybody at City to care how many touches Haaland has while he is contributing as much as he is to the team.
“Obviously it’s hard being that focal point in the system,” said De Bruyne. “We have 11 people behind the ball pretty much all the time, it’s very difficult when teams play that way and we know that.
“But in these however many touches he was dangerous. You don’t need a lot of touches to be dangerous.
“He helps the team in many aspects and he didn’t complain, he was still helping and giving assists, so it’s fine. He did well.
“If he doesn’t score they will say it but he set up the first goal, he had a couple of chances and he was there.
“He helped us make these chances, he did what he had to do and on another day he will score. It’s all good for me.”