Erling Haaland comment shows why he has wowed Pep Guardiola at Man City
Erling Haaland has played six Premier League games and already broken a competition record.
Nine goals in his first five matches, including consecutive hat-tricks, gave him another slice of history but - more importantly - have also shredded any debate or questions about his suitability for the Premier League. The Norwegian arrived in England with the reputation of a superstar that the Premier League just isn't used to, and his early performances have emphatically reinforced this.
As Manchester City fans pinch themselves at the ridiculous talent they have on their hands and United supporters shout at Haaland across the street to join their club instead, much of the praise Pep Guardiola has dished out about his new No.9 has not been about what everyone else has seen.
Also read:Man City get Champions League boost after being denied golden opportunity
Guardiola has never been too comfortable talking about the qualities of elite strikers, often going back to the idea that they just have a knack that has always allowed them to score and always will. Instead, the City boss has preferred to talk about the way Haaland has settled in away from the cameras and everything he brings to the week on top of the matchday.
While some predicted that the two men would not work together (some basing this largely off Zlatan Ibrahimovic's nose being put out of joint over a decade ago that Guardiola preferred to build his Barcelona team around some bloke called Lionel Messi), both sides did their homework before this move and to listen to the 22-year-old speak it is striking how closely he mirrors the values of his new coach.
Asked recently if he aims to be the best player in the world, Haaland responded: "I think this is every