Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on striker Erling Haaland, likening the Norwegian’s scoring abilities to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking after City’s 4-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday, Guardiola was full of admiration for Haaland’s performance, which saw the striker score twice on his return from injury.
Haaland’s second goal, an acrobatic overhead kick from a cross by Jack Grealish, particularly impressed Guardiola. “The second goal was amazing. It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass,” he said.
Guardiola, who coached Messi during his time at Barcelona, went on to say that Haaland’s ability to score goals puts him on the same level as two of football’s all-time greats. “As a top scorer we lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi but he is on that level. He scores a lot of goals. I am very happy with 65 minutes after injury and he helped us again.”
Haaland’s performance helped City to within five points of league leaders Arsenal, with the striker’s tally for the season now standing at an impressive 44 goals, 30 of which have come in the Premier League.
Despite Haaland’s return, City struggled in the first half against Southampton, but their performance picked up after the break, with Grealish also getting on the scoresheet.
Looking ahead, Guardiola refused to be drawn on City’s upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, instead focusing on securing a treble of trophies. City are in contention for the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles this season, and Guardiola will be hoping that Haaland’s return to form will give his side the edge they need to come out on top in all three competitions.
Overall, Guardiola’s comments serve as a testament to Haaland’s incredible talent and potential, and the striker will no doubt be looking to build on his impressive debut season at City as he looks to establish himself as one of the best players in world football.
