RULE OF THUMB
Goal monster Haaland is a fource of nature.. and, sorry Gunners, he’s back to his prolific best at just the right time
SOMETIMES you just have to marvel at greatness, even if it comes at your own expense.
When Erling Haaland notched his fourth goal with a sublime curling finish, even the Wolves analysts could only smile ruefully in awe and admiration.
Their job is to analyse match data and relay it to the technical area during the game, but no amount of number crunching could have prevented Haaland’s majestic strike.
Manchester City’s goal machine was simply unplayable, taking his tally for the season to 36 goals from 41 games in all competitions – despite missing two months of the campaign through injury.
After a relatively quiet campaign by his high standards, compared to last season when he plundered 52 goals from 53 games, Haaland is back to his prolific best at just the right time for City. With three games left in a compelling title race with Arsenal, his return to form could ultimately see Pep Guardiola’s side over the line to a record fourth league crown in a row.
Haaland’s figures are truly remarkable. He now has 88 goals from 94 games in two seasons at City, more than he did in three years at Borussia Dortmund, where he notched 86 from 89 matches.
He has 25 Premier League goals this season, four ahead of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and five in front of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, and is on course to win the Golden Boot for the second year in a row.
With seven goals in his last four league games, Haaland is also gnawing away at Arsenal’s goal difference advantage over City, which is now down to six and could turn out to be crucial.
“I try to do what I’m best at, scoring goals,” said Haaland.
“I’m playing for a fantastic team, just look at the players around me. It wouldn’t be possible without them.
“The boys have been through this many years, the club also. I’ve got experience from last year and it’s about focusing on game by game.
“We’re confident, we have to keep going, we have to push and we have to focus.
“We’re on a mission so focus on the game, then on to the next one.”
Up next for City is Saturday’s lunchtime game at Fulham, followed by Tottenham away three days later and West Ham at the Etihad on the final day of the season.
Guardiola does not underestimate the size of the task facing him and his players, despite City being favourites to pip Arsenal and continue their dominance of the league.
“Fulham has always been really tough for us and Spurs,” said Guardiola. “Except in the FA Cup.
“We’ve never won there before in the Premier League, so the fact is the situation we’re in will not be easy, but it’s one week, three games and the important thing is that it’s in our hands.
“If we win the games, we will be champions, so the players know it, they feel it and they have the experience of doing it in the past. They have to do it again. Is it going to be easy? No, but it’s in our hands, that’s all.
“We need everyone, and the players know it, so now we have a long week.
“We have a couple of days off to rest, then go to Fulham at 12.30 on Saturday, then Spurs on Tuesday and hopefully we can arrive here before West Ham with a chance that it’s in our hands.”
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Walker 7, Akanji 7, Ake 7 (Stones 69, 6), Gvardiol 8; Rodri 8, Kovacic 8, Silva 8 (Doku 80); De Bruyne 7 (Nunes 79), Foden 7 (Grealish 80); Haaland 9 (Alvarez 82) WOLVES (3-5-1-1): Sa 5; Semedo 5, Kilman 5, Toti 5; Ait-Nouri 4, J Gomes 5, Lemina 5 (Bellegarde 46, 6), Traore 5, H Bueno 5 (S Bueno 71); Cunha 5 (Sarabia 76); Hwang 6 (Chirewa 87)