Pointing to his temple, sliding across the grass, face like a destroyer, that was Erling Haaland’s overbearing celebration at the Emirates. But not only the goal, the “robot” from Norway seems to know how to play effectively in a big game.
Haaland arrived at Arsenal with 25 goals and left with his 26th in the Premier League. The second highest scorer for City in the domestic league is Phil Foden with only 7 goals. And City, despite being equal on points, is standing above Arsenal in the table thanks to the goal difference. It’s definitely not a coincidence. It is not an exaggeration to say that all of City’s advantages at this time against the main opponent are thanks to Haaland.
Haaland’s excitement could be felt in the post-match interview. He “forgot” the instructions at the break of Pep Guardiola, and said that the last goal was 20 minutes away, so he had to score more. A little bit of humor, a little bit of wild, comfort and confidence returned to Haaland’s face.
And that is the crystallization after 90 minutes of sublimation, in a match that Haaland considers “perfect” of Man City . But nothing will be perfect if Haaland does not play well. He entered the big battle with great pressure when he did not play well in a series of previous matches, such as defeat against MU or Tottenham, or even in the victory against Chelsea.
Jamie Carragher went further when he said that despite so many goals, Haaland does not seem suitable for City when the style of the team cannot make full use of the ability of the tall striker.
Pep Guardiola is of course not at odds with Carragher. In his mind, he believes Haaland is a perfect fit for City and with just a few small adjustments, he will be back in tune with his teammates.
Just like that, at Emirates is a much more dynamic version of Haaland. He touched the ball 35 times, more than Grealish, Mahrez, Gundogan, De Bruyne, and of course, more than himself in previous matches. The fact that Haaland touched the ball the most in City’s upper team was a breakthrough, especially in a game where Arsenal were the team in control.
Usually, Pep just needs Haaland as his “baby knife”, without using too much, but swinging it is the best decision. Pep needs Haaland as the output for the ball-building chain, which means that his teammates have done all the hardest work and the former Dortmund striker just needs to cushion the ball into the net.
But when this way of playing is gradually caught by the opponent, and the satellites around Haaland are no longer superior to their Premier League opponents, they need his support more.
And now, Haaland becomes Pep’s “bat”, it’s lighter, more flexible, can be swung more times and is obviously more uncomfortable. Haaland participates in the ball a lot, works hard to defend deeply and especially likes to compete with the opponent’s central defender. If not for offside, Haaland would have tricked Gabriel into fouling him after the “wrestle” in the penalty area.
Not only helping teammates, this way of playing also helps Haaland himself open up more, play more football. As Haaland himself admits, he is no longer bound too much from Pep’s tactical direction, thereby promoting the wildness available in Nordic blood.
The way Haaland makes Arsenal’s defense tired to follow, opens a lot of space for teammates. Also from Haaland’s constant pressure, the home team’s defense made more mistakes, leading to a series of extremely ungainly handling that led to a goal.
Not only scoring, being 3 points, being at the top of the table, being able to play his football makes Haaland satisfied. A Man City with a new engine to find inspiration will be a nightmare not only for Arsenal but for the rest of the Premier League.
