MANCHESTER, England — The battle for the Premier League title is heating up, potentially culminating in a dramatic surge from Erling Haaland, who could single-handedly help Manchester City overtake Arsenal by season’s end.
At just 25 years old, Haaland has become a pivotal force for his team, nearing the exceptional standards set by Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Both players remained injury-free and maintained their form to lead their teams to victory. The question now is whether Haaland can similarly propel City to success.
With two goals in a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, Haaland has helped lift City to second place in the Premier League, just six points behind Arsenal, despite a shaky start that has seen them suffer three league defeats already.
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City’s position in the standings is largely due to Haaland’s phenomenal goal-scoring talent. Bournemouth’s winger David Brooks remarked on Haaland’s unstoppable nature after witnessing his two goals, noting, “The big man up top for them — Haaland — is always going to be a threat.” Brooks added, “It’s nearly impossible to prepare for a player like Haaland. Standing at 6’5″, he’s a colossal threat when the ball comes to him, and he finished his chances exceptionally well.”
Haaland’s first-half brace against Bournemouth propelled his league tally to 11 goals, placing him five ahead of others vying for the Golden Boot, including Igor Thiago, Danny Welbeck, Antoine Semenyo, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. In fact, City has become so dependent on the Norwegian international that their second-highest league scorer is Maxime Estève, a defender from Burnley, whose two own goals came during a 5-1 loss in September.
It would be inaccurate to call Guardiola’s City a one-man team; the squad boasts several accomplished players who can counter that notion. However, removing Haaland from the equation makes it difficult to envision how they would challenge Arsenal for the title. “Without him [Haaland], it would be tough,” Guardiola candidly shared with the media.
Back in the 2012-13 season, Manchester United leaned heavily on Robin van Persie’s goals to secure the title, with the forward contributing 26 goals. However, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernández also played crucial roles, each scoring in the double digits. In contrast, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz are stepping up similarly. For City, Haaland’s dominance in front of goal is unmatched this season.
Haaland has scored 11 out of City’s 20 league goals. While Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders have scored once each, forwards Savinho, Omar Marmoush, and Jérémy Doku have yet to find the net this season.
Is this an issue? While Haaland is scoring and City is winning, it doesn’t seem to be. However, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to play every match this season, especially after a busy summer that included participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. Therefore, if he stops scoring or is sidelined, someone else must rise to the occasion.
Moreover, with Kevin De Bruyne now at Napoli and Marmoush hindered by injuries, Foden continues to search for his form from the previous season when he scored 19 league goals.
Haaland’s immense talent lies in his ability to convert scoring opportunities into goals. His two finishes against Bournemouth appeared effortless; in contrast, Nico O’Reilly missed a similar chance, highlighting the difference. Greatness translates opportunities into goals; good players often fall short. In this regard, Haaland epitomizes greatness.
When Marmoush replaced Haaland in the 82nd minute, it denied him the chance for a hat trick — he already holds 11 hat tricks for City. However, with former club Borussia Dortmund visiting for a UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday, followed by reigning champions Liverpool next Sunday, every minute of rest is beneficial for Haaland.
Given his significance to the team, Guardiola must also take care to manage his star player. As long as Haaland remains fit and performing, City stands a solid chance of claiming the title.