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Published on 2024-02-10 15:26:58
Erling Haaland had not received the memo about Manchester City’s persistence after Christmas until Saturday, when any brief ‘Fraudland’ claims were extinguished by a typically efficient and brutal display by the striker.
Last season, the focus of the same fixture was largely on the tussle between Erling Haaland and Ben Godfrey, with the latter evidently directed by then Everton manager Frank Lampard to engage the striker in a physical battle in an attempt to throw him off his goal-scoring stride.
Haaland scored only once in a 1-1 draw, with Godfrey deemed by many to have ‘won’. When asked if Haaland was upset by the attempts to unsettle him, Godfrey confirmed that he was, stating “Yeah, of course he was, I think you saw his reaction.”
The recent game saw Godfrey line up on the right side of defense and Haaland being frustrated by other defenders until he finally managed to score his first goal since November, kicking the ball as hard as humanly possible through Jordan Pickford.
Prior to this, Haaland had gone four league games without a goal, which was his second-longest streak ever after a five-game drought for Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
Despite this, it’s important to note that he has scored, on average, a goal every 88 minutes in his senior career, making a 419-minute stretch without a goal a significant event for a striker like him.
The idea that City might be better off without Haaland was previously suggested last season but was proven false given his consistent ability to prove himself as the most deadly goal-scorer in the world. This notion was further disproven during the recent game against Everton.
Guardiola’s comment “When one player scores 60 goals it helps you to win games” was particularly relevant given Haaland’s standing at the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts on 14 goals, even before his double on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah.
The doubts surrounding Haaland’s impact on the efficient running of the City machine were put to rest following his phenomenal performance during the game.
Manchester City is now well into their stride towards further titles, with their striker quickly and efficiently putting ‘Fraudland’ claims to bed on an afternoon where he caught up with the rest of them.
Read Original article on Football365
