Norwegian centre-forward is changing what it means to be a prolific goalscorer but his teammates have to step up
There was a sense of inevitability right from the very start at La Ceramica when Erling Haaland received a pass from Savinho in front of the box, with only 20 seconds gone, Villarreal defenders retreating, resigned to their fate almost, and the centre forward chose to slice a return pass to Savinho, who then squared it, only for Jeremy Doku to be denied by goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
Haaland could have put that away himself. If he had gone for it most people would have put their money on him to score, even those who barely watch him but have heard rumours of his terrifying goal record.
About two minutes after that, the ball was floated into the box by Bernardo Silva and Haaland jumped, could not quite connect with it properly, his effort sailing wide. Hands on his face, the Norwegian rued the miss. Which was in fact, if you were to truly look at it, barely a miss; a half chance for the normal striker, the regular sort who roam the attacking third and watch the football happening around them, hoping to somehow interpose themselves and make the difference.
But Haaland is not a normal striker. He happens to the football. It gravitates towards him, seeking to connect, to be put away amidst hapless defenders and petrified goalkeepers. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Haaland can score and so Haaland will score. Now stand there and watch him put that ball away.
In minute 17 the inevitable finally happened. A combination between Savinho and Rico Lewis on the right, a cross, Haaland in the box, and then the ball in the net. It didn’t matter that there was just him, four defenders and the goalkeeper. It didn’t matter that the man in front of him had a head start. Don’t ask how it happened. Don’t try to understand the process – just enjoy it, or rue it if it happens to your team.
This is not normal football. Haaland shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t be better after already being absolutely good. Haaland has netted his 24th goal in 14 games. Haaland has also equalled the best scoring streak of Cristiano Ronaldo: in 12 straight games he has put the ball beyond the goal-line.
The genius Norwegian is absolutely obliterating anybody’s sense of what it means to be a prolific goalscorer. This is great for football. It is great to watch the big man imperious in the box. It is great to watch him excel by perfecting the little things. He is not doing step overs; he is not shooting from 30 yards. He has a way of playing extraordinary football with only a collection of the most basic attributes, the Eiffel Tower constructed with reeds.
All he did was come over and tap in, but he has also done that in ten different games and will do it next week.
This is also great for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side are second in the Premier League, quietly eyeing top spot but still under the radar. Also watch them hanging around the top of the Champions League table, great but not great enough to draw unneeded attention. And Haaland is carrying them on.
But at the same time, is this great for Manchester City? Not only has Haaland been the difference maker, he seems to be the difference, the only reason City are not languishing in mid-table, drawing and losing games.
Haaland has scored 15 in all competitions for the club so far. Phil Foden is the only other player who has scored two. To bring in some additional context, Foden is tied with Burnley’s Maxime Esteve, who scored two own goals when his side faced City in September.
And one of Foden’s goals was in the Carabao Cup, which means that in the Premier League, City’s second highest scorer so far after Haaland is a Burnley player with two goals.
As a legendary Chinese philosopher said, the most important thing is the three points. It doesn’t matter where the goals come from, so long as they do and you are winning games. Or does it?
There is really only one problem with reliance, and it’s that if the one supply route is cut off, things tend to come crashing down.
If City were to lose Haaland to injury, or he was off the pace for a couple of weeks, what then? In his absence they are hardly world beaters. Haaland was the only difference between his side and Everton at the Etihad earlier in October.
Without his brace David Moyes would have relished his side’s odds of drawing or even winning the game. In fact, according to the Everton boss, at full-time he walked up to the Norwegian and told him, “I wish you were somewhere else.”
It turned into a humorous exchange but Guardiola is one person who would understand what Moyes meant. He’s “our key man”, Guardiola himself said in a press conference, but “at the same time we can’t rely on him”.
“The wingers, the attacking midfielders and the other players have to make a step up,” City’s coach said. And of course he’s right. Haaland is a genius but his teammates have to do better, or the storm will come.
