Erling Haaland: ‘The only thing City miss is the Champions League. I am here for a reason’

F or Erling Haaland, the moment of truth comes as he goes through what, by his standards, must be considered a drought. In the countdown to Saturday’s Champions League final against Internazionale, he has scored once in seven games – his worst run since he arrived at Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund last summer and began to dismantle defenders and records.

“You can think of it as one goal in seven games,” Haaland says, a faint smile playing across his features. “Or 52 goals in 52 games and eight assists, I think.” It is actually nine but who is counting them? “I’m not stressed, I feel really good,” he continues, not breaking stride, allowing what he has said to land.

Fifty-two goals: 36 of them in the Premier League, a competition record; 12 more in the Champions League. It is extraordinary, freakish because, to repeat, here is someone playing in a new league at a new club. He is 22, as well.

When Pep Guardiola makes signings, they are supposed to need a season to adapt to his methods. The examples are numerous, the latest being Jack Grealish, who has thrived after a testing debut campaign. Haaland needed only one game and it is amusing to remember the reaction to his high-profile blank in the Community Shield defeat against Liverpool, when he missed two chances, one an absolute sitter.

“I told Jack: ‘Sometimes players need maybe a year or something to come into the new league and new team and everything, and sometimes players come directly in and perform …’” Haaland says, deadpan, and again it takes a second for his audience to realise what he has done, the broad daylight drive-by on Grealish.

Then, there is laughter, albeit not from Haaland. “So, yeah, that was one game,” he says. “Community Shield, I missed a