As Erling Haaland was enthusiastically embraced by his Manchester City teammates, the Norway star’s toothy grin gave Pep Guardiola a glimmer of hope that his prized striker remains to be content material on the membership earlier than the all-important Champions League showdown with RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
When Haaland scored a late penalty to clinch City’s 1-0 win towards Crystal Palace within the Premier League on Saturday, he responded with a joyous slide throughout the rain-soaked Selhurst Park pitch.
Amid studies that Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are plotting audacious bids for Haaland within the shut season, the 22-year-old’s ecstatic response to his winner was a welcome sight for Guardiola.
Haaland has scored 28 instances within the Premier League and netted 34 objectives in all competitions since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in May.
He stays on target to interrupt the Premier League objective document for a single marketing campaign, collectively held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, who netted 34 for Blackburn and Newcastle respectively.
Yet, though the uncooked numbers recommend all is effectively with the astonishingly prolific striker and his crew, the attention check has typically painted a unique image.
There have been pointed questions raised about Guardiola’s potential to get City to adapt to Haaland’s distinctive abilities and the striker’s personal points with coming to phrases with the champions’ fashion of play.
At instances, Haaland has plowed a lone furrow in City’s assault, left remoted and surrounded by defenders throughout his crew’s lengthy spells of possession.
As a outcome, City have sometimes appeared extra toothless than Haaland’s phenomenal document would recommend, together with his misses microscopically analyzed for proof he’s sq. peg in a spherical gap.
Haaland did miss a sitter earlier than scoring at Palace, whereas his profligacy in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest in February noticed City give up first place within the Premier League.
With City trailing Arsenal by 5 factors within the title race, the Champions League might supply their greatest likelihood of a memorable finish to the season.
He’s considering constructive
They have by no means received Europe’s elite membership competitors and should see off Leipzig, who earned a 1-1 draw within the final 16 first leg in Germany, to advance to the quarter-finals.
Guardiola will want Haaland at his predatory greatest and he insisted there isn’t any motive to doubt the striker’s dedication to the City trigger.
“The way he celebrates his goals and his mates’ goals shows how happy he is here and how we are with him and his personality,” Guardiola stated.
“This man would not rating one or two objectives and the folks go, oh he is not the identical! He is at all times there so the numbers converse for themselves.
“One of the most important attributes I’ve found realizing him and dealing collectively is the truth that he can miss one likelihood, second, he is not getting depressed, he is not unhappy.
“He’s thinking positive, he knows he will have the chance, he knows he will be there. And this is an incredible attribute as a football player.”
However, Guardiola was keen to acknowledge the rising pains skilled since Haaland’s switch, including: “What I would love after I end our interval collectively is the truth that he might enhance the sport, with the affiliation with the crew.
“Realizing how he can be involved in our game, not just putting the ball in the net. Because the net will happen all the time in his life.”
Haaland is effectively conscious of the stress to reside as much as the hype that noticed him rated as the most effective finisher in Europe following his arrival in Manchester.
Showing no indicators of eager to flee to Paris or Madrid, for now not less than, Haaland stated: “Of course, I do not wish to miss possibilities.
“I just do as I do every game, focus on my game. It’s not that bad, we have to keep going. As I said it’s not easy, I’m really proud.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
