Erling Haaland has kicked off the new season in electrifying form, racking up seven goals, including two hat-tricks, in just three games.
After netting a hat-trick against West Ham at the London Stadium, Haaland’s goal tally for Manchester City stands at seven in just three matches—a testament to his lethal finishing. Despite being starved of service for much of the second half, the 24-year-old capitalized on a single pinpoint pass from Matheus Nunes to seal the victory after West Ham threatened to draw level.
Pep Guardiola is thrilled with Haaland’s performances and his fitness this season. The Norwegian striker has been staying behind after training sessions, working on his finishing and first touch for an additional 30 minutes—a commitment he couldn’t manage last season due to fatigue and minor injuries.
Guardiola believes Haaland’s game is getting better in every aspect, but he insists that the team needs to feed him more balls in the final third to maximize his impact. “He’s playing much better in everything,” Guardiola said, emphasizing Haaland’s dedication to improving his shooting and control. “Last season, he wasn’t doing this because he was tired and dealing with niggles.”
Guardiola pointed out that Haaland is almost unstoppable when given space, especially with players like Rico Lewis, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and James McAtee, who excel in tight spaces. “The last goal or the first goal where Bernardo passed him the ball with space behind, he’s unstoppable,” Guardiola added. “No central defender can handle him, not even with a gun. It’s impossible, he’s so powerful.”
The City manager also acknowledged that while the team is strong, they need to improve their precision in the final third to create more opportunities for Haaland. Once that happens, Guardiola believes Haaland’s already clinical finishing will become even more devastating.
