Fans reacted as the unfortunate Erling Haaland statistics showed
Erling Haaland’s adventure at Manchester City was a marvel and unparalleled in the modern era of football. The young, tall Norwegian striker has taken the Premier League and Europe by storm since arriving from Borussia Dortmund. However, Haaland has not always found it easy getting to the final and the statistics underline his challenges in stepping up to the biggest occasions.
Over the past two seasons, few players have claimed to be able to chat and compete with the lauded Arling Haaland. The 24-year-old has been a revelation for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, providing a key piece of the puzzle for the Catalan coach’s dream team. The Mancunian club’s success would not have been possible without its giant number nine, but the club managed to deny Haaland a final without much of a contribution.
Erling Haaland faced the heat for his unbeaten record in the final
Performing in the final is certainly a daunting task that only a few players in history have managed to master. Erling Haaland, however, did not escape criticism for his errors in the final stages. “Ulto Drogba”, “Pep should have told him they were playing against Luton.”, “Anyone with such a poor record in big games shouldn’t be near legendary PL strikers of the past.”There were some trolls directed at the townspeople.
A striker’s job in the final becomes more challenging with the defensive nature of the match increasing the attention of the defenders. Inevitably, comparisons were made to the great Didier Drogba. The legendary Chelsea striker has earned the status of a big game player, renowned for his ability to be a savior for his side in crucial battles.
Erling Haaland’s illustrious career at Manchester City
The aforementioned numbers cannot take away Erling Haaland’s achievements with City. The former Dortmund man has won the Golden Boot in the Premier League for the past two campaigns and even holds the record for the most goals scored by an individual in a single Premier League season during the 2022/23 campaign.
Haaland was also awarded the UEFA Player of the Year in 2023 for his huge contribution to City’s first ever Champions League title. His performance earned him second place in the Ballon d’Or race the same year. The number nine will now start the 24/25 season with his club, having already bagged 90 goals and 15 assists in just 98 appearances.