The adventure of Erling Haaland in Manchester City has been a wonderful and unparalleled one in the modern era of soccer. The young, tall Norwegian striker has taken the Premier League and Europe by storm ever since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund. Nonetheless, Haaland has not always found it easy going in finals and statistics underline his challenges in stepping up on the biggest occasions.
During the last two seasons, few if any, players can chat and compete with the accolades Erling Haaland has claimed. The 24-year-age has been a revelation for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, providing the crucial 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 has managed to negate the finals without much contribution from Haaland.
Erling Haaland faces the heat for his underwhelming record in the finals
Performing in finals is certainly a daunting task that only a few players in history have been able to master. Erling Haaland, however, has not been able to escape the criticism for his shortcomings on the ultimate stage. “Inverse Drogba”, “Pep should’ve told him they are playing against Luton.”, “Someone who has this poor of a record in big games shouldn’t be anywhere close to the legendary PL strikers of the past.”, were some of the trolls directed towards the City man.
A striker’s job in finals becomes ever more challenging with the increased attention of defenders coupled with the conservative nature of matches. Inevitably, comparisons were made with the great Didier Drogba. The legendary Chelsea striker is renowned for his ability to be the savior for his sides in crucial encounters, earning the status of a big-game player.
The splendid career of Erling Haaland at Manchester City
The above-mentioned numbers cannot take away the achievements of Erling Haaland with City. The former Dortmund man has been the Golden Boot winner in the Premier League for the last two campaigns and even set the record for the most number of goals 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 massive contribution to City’s first-ever Champions League title. His displays also earned him a second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or race the same year. The number-nine will now kickstart the 24/25 season with his club, having already bagged 90 goals and 15 assists in just 98 appearances.