When he first came to City, Erling Haaland changed the parameters for scoring goals.
Erling Haaland has redefined the standards of goal scoring while at Manchester City. Since arriving at the Etihad he has scored 69 goals in 71 appearances as he took to English football like a duck to water. There was a time when a striker was considered elite by scoring a goal every other game. Haaland has completely changed that notion during his spell at City and throughout his career.
It wasn’t long ago that there was criticism of Haaland’s play as City were beaten by Wolves and Arsenal. At the time he had scored 8 goals in 12 appearances and had two quiet games in City’s back-to-back Premier League defeats. He also didn’t score in the European champion’s 3-1 win over RB Leipzig which came in between the two defeats which made it three games without a goal.
8 goals in 12 appearances isn’t a poor return by any striker. Such is the rate that Erling Haaland scores goals it was considered a quiet spell for the Norwegian striker. A quiet spell for Haaland usually ends in a glut of goals for him and it has proven to be the case again.
Since Manchester City returned from the international break Haaland has scored 9 goals in 6 games. He didn’t score against Bournemouth as he was substituted at half-time with a minor ankle injury. With Pep Guardiola’s side returning to form and the midfield providing him with more chances the goals have flowed. That was never in doubt such is the quality amongst the City squad and the goal-scoring instinct of Haaland.
Erling Haaland has redefined the standards of goal scoring since arriving at Manchester City and during his career. Across his career, he has scored 204 goals in 254 appearances for City, Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Molde and Bryne. How high he sets the bar remains to be seen given how much of Haaland’s career remains
