ACCORDING to player Jamie Carragher, striker Erling Haaland has all the qualities needed to become a Premier League legend following Didier Drogba’s model.
In the opening match of the English Premier League at Burnley on August 11, Haaland started, then made way for Cole Palmer in the 80th minute. During his time on the field, the Norwegian striker touched the ball 22 times, passing with 82% accuracy. with two key passes, duels won twice, shot four times and scored twice.
After just 185 seconds, Haaland scored his first goal of the new season with a left-footed cushion from close range from Rodri’s header. In the 36th minute, from Julian Alvarez’s cross, the 23-year-old striker made a one-touch shot from a horizontal position with the goal to complete the double. In the second half, Haaland participated more in the role of connecting the attack, notably in the situation of ball disputes and assists for Alvarez to finish close to the post.
Haaland celebrated the goal to make it 2-0 in the match Man City defeated Burnley 3-0 in the first round of the Premier League on August 11. Photo: mancity.com
Commenting on Sky Sports , Carragher praised Haaland for displaying a sharp finish in the first half, but delighted in the performance in the second, when the Norwegian forward was more involved in connecting play.
“How many times do we give statistics that Haaland scores a goal after five touches of the ball,” said the former England defender. “I want a quality player like Haaland to touch the ball more. Sometimes, I feel that Man City can kick the ball more directly, put the ball long for Haaland. In the second half, I was really impressed with the way the ball was controlled. by Haaland”.
A brace against Burnley helped Haaland reach 100 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, with 62 goals for Dortmund and 38 goals for Man City. In particular, the Norwegian striker tore the net in 35 of the 40 teams he faced with Dortmund and Man City in the Bundesliga and Premier League respectively.
Haaland is the second player to score at least two goals in the opening game of the Premier League in two consecutive seasons for the same club. Last season, he scored twice in a 2-0 win at West Ham. The first person to set this milestone was Didier Drogba in a Chelsea shirt, with a brace against Hull in the 2009-2010 season and a hat-trick against West Brom in the 2010-2011 season.
Haaland in a situation that dribbles past Burnley defender Dara O’Shea (No. 2). Photo: Reuters
Carragher sees similarities and thinks Haaland could become a Premier League legend following Drogba’s model. “Haaland is not only a goalscorer, but more than that,” commented the 45-year-old former defender. “I can imagine Haaland like Drogba, but with loads of goals. I have a feeling we’re going to see even more interesting things from Haaland.”
In his first season with Man City , Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions, helping the club win a historic treble. In which, he broke the record for the most goals scored in a season in the Premier League with 36 goals, and won the Champions League top scorer with 12 goals.
Drogba is a famous striker in the English Premier League, with two periods at Chelsea. In total, he scored 164 goals in 381 matches, winning four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two English Super Cups. The most memorable was the 2011-2012 Champions League, where Drogba scored the equalizer in the final against Bayern and successfully kicked the decisive penalty.