His first Premier League day in City colours and Erling Haaland is already making the headlines. Just one week after City’s painful loss in the Community Shield, the English champions are already back with a bang and Haaland wields the weapon.
After the loss against Liverpool, a lot of critics and pundits predicted a rather rough season for the Norwegian superstar. The striker has put a response on Guardiola’s lips after his debut against West Ham. Here is what the boss had to say concerning Haaland and the team’s general performance:
Pep Guardiola, speaking to Sky Sports: “It was an excellent performance. What we have not done against Liverpool in terms of be more competitive as a team we did it today. Especially against a team that is not easy with the long balls.”
On Haaland performance: “We didn’t have any doubt a guy who has scored goals since he was born that he would score goals here. Kyle Walker was amazing today, I want to make a compliment for him but all of them. Everyone was really good.
“Haaland gives us his qualities. We are not going to change much, we will adapt, we know we have a threat there. He is an incredible deep runner and finisher. He is adapting perfectly in the way we want to play. We are going to find him more and more and hopefully we can give him the opportunity to score more goals.
“Of course he has talent but one week ago [against Liverpool] when he missed the chance he had people said he was a failure and that he would not adapt to the premier league and everyone laugh at him. Now he is going [to be the next] Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo. Takes time. It is the first Premier League game, he has a long career. When he is going to retire, hopefully stay many years here, we will analyse what he has become.
“We know the quality he has and after that we will see. When it was a penalty he immediately took the ball and I like that. The penalty is the guy who has the confidence to do it, is going to do it.
“Football is like life, forget to organise your life just live it. That is the best way. Tomorrow is another day, prepare for Bournemouth and see what happens.”
City host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in six days and his side will stop at nothing to secure another three points. Haaland will also look to add some more goals to his tally in that tie.