Pep Guardiola likens Erling Haaland to Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi
What's the story
Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola, has expressed his belief that Erling Haaland has the potential to rival football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
This statement followed after Haaland scored an impressive hat-trick against Ipswich Town on Saturday.
"The numbers with Erling are unbelievable," Guardiola said. "I think he can sit at the table, in terms of scoring goals, with Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Messi, that's for sure."
The hat-trick against Ipswich Town was the striker's 7th Premier League hat-trick.
Stellar performance
Haaland's impressive scoring record
Haaland, who is just 24 years old, has already netted four goals this season.
His current performance could potentially lead him to his third consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.
The striker has an impressive record of 94 goals in 101 appearances for Manchester City.
This remarkable achievement follows a restful summer, with Norway missing Euro 2024, allowing Haaland to start the season refreshed and injury-free.
Overcoming challenges
Guardiola acknowledges Haaland's struggles and recovery
Guardiola acknowledged that Haaland had a challenging start to the last season due to fatigue and minor injuries.
He noted that, without the pressure of European Championship commitments, Haaland has started this season positively.
"I said a few weeks ago, he feels better than previous seasons," Guardiola added. "This season, no Euros, relax and arrive well."
Player's perspective
Haaland expresses relief over physical well-being
Echoing Guardiola's sentiments, Haaland recently expressed that he is feeling better than ever.
"I don't have any pain in my body which is the first time for a long time," he said. "It's amazing -- you can push yourself more because you don't have something in the back of your head. I had a long pre-season, I enjoyed it."
This statement underscores his readiness for the challenges ahead this season.
Team resilience
Manchester City's performance despite key absences
Manchester City's win over Ipswich Town came without Kyle Walker and Phil Foden, who rejoined the squad late after playing in the Euro final for England.
Additionally, Man City's defensive midfielder Rodri is still recovering from an injury which he sustained during the 2024 Euro final versus England.
Despite these absences, City's dominant performance combined with Haaland's scoring prowess have set the stage for a promising season ahead.
Match Summary
Man City crush Ipswich Town
Ipswich's Sammie Szmodics scored on his full debut, squeezing a shot through the legs of Ederson.
Man City hit back with three goals in four minutes. First, Haaland equalized with a well-taken penalty after VAR deemed a foul on Savinho.
Kevin De Bruyne scored quickly thereafter before Haaland made it 3-1. Haaland then scored with a low drive in the 88th minute.
Numbers
7th hat-trick for Erling Haaland
Haaland scored his 7th Premier League hat-trick, making only his 68th appearance in the competition.
The former Borussia Dortmund player, who won the Premier League Golden Boot award in the last two campaigns, already owns four goals from two league games this season.
Haaland has raced to 67 goals in the Premier League. He also owns 13 assists.