Nico O’Reilly had been introduced with the prize by the facet of the pitch earlier than Pep Guardiola introduced who he felt was a extra deserving recipient. “Erling was for me the person of the match,” he mentioned. Usually when will get the person honours, it’s a reflection of extraterrestrial goalscoring exploits.
Not on this event. There are days when the numbers surrounding Haaland are high and low; his variety of touches and targets respectively. As Newcastle had been defeated maybe it was the opposite method round. For the eighth time in 11 video games, he didn’t discover the web. But he has by no means been extra concerned.
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He had 43 touches, his most ever in a Premier League match. Haaland’s peak and look makes him conspicuous even when he’s not on the ball, however he had a ubiquity. The attention was drawn to his battle with Dan Burn, the Etihad wanting the land of the giants. Haaland made O’Reilly’s second aim with the sort of ball he would admire himself – “I need that somebody crosses to him,” mentioned Guardiola – and saved on repelling Newcastle assaults.
Haaland made three clearances; solely Rodri and Marc Guehi made extra for Metropolis. Certainly, solely twice in his Premier League profession has the Norwegian had extra in a match. It was a type of days when, not content material with being Metropolis’s greatest attacker, he can look their most interesting defender. It prompted Guehi to comment that he doesn’t need Haaland to reinvent himself as a centre-back. “I feel he ought to keep up entrance, for positive,” mentioned the January signing. “I do not need him to take my place.”
Erling Haaland aim charge has slowed for the reason that flip of the yr (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
However Haaland is a magnetic presence within the penalty field, heading balls away. Newcastle supporters might have had flashbacks: for years Alan Shearer, in between turning into their document scorer, assumed the duties on the close to submit at corners.
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“I am not a giant fan to place Erling to defend,” mentioned Guardiola. “However he helped us, and I do know after, how the folks hug him and have fun him and say they’re grateful for serving to us. He is an unbelievable, beneficiant participant, so right now is a efficiency and I am going to always remember what Erling has carried out for us.”
Guardiola’s description of Haaland as beneficiant was instructive. The speculation is that strikers should be egocentric; the extra targets they get, maybe the extra egocentric they’re. And 2026 has been an unusually barren spell for Haaland, however it has been a time when he has proven a way of better duty. He’s a part of Metropolis’s management group, a type of who organised the refund for supporters who paid for tickets for the dismal defeat to Bodo/Glimt.
Along with his nine-and-a-half yr contract, he has a better dedication. In flip, which may be making him extra of a staff participant. He isn’t just a scorer. Guardiola was stunned to learn that Haaland ranks second within the Premier League for assists, albeit a way behind the runaway chief, Bruno Fernandes.
“So the numbers are unbelievable,” mentioned Guardiola and, as soon as once more, he was not speaking about Haaland’s aim return. He has seven assists for the top-flight season, just one behind his private greatest, in 2022-23. He has obtained extra inventive of late. Three have are available his final 5 video games, all in numerous style. There was a move for Rayan Cherki’s solo aim in opposition to Tottenham, a header down for Bernardo Silva’s predatory end at Liverpool, now the cross for O’Reilly.
Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola have fun Metropolis’s win over Newcastle (Reuters)
Which may be a consequence of Guardiola’s shifting ways. As he has adopted a 4-2-2-2 formation, Haaland has been given a barely wider transient, one in every of cut up strikers. He used to function virtually solely throughout the width of the penalty field. A glimpse at his contact map on Saturday confirmed 10 of them had been to the correct of the containers.
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Maybe, as Metropolis have much less management and play a extra transitional type of soccer, forwards can have extra touches and midfielders fewer; there was an old-style really feel to the Newcastle recreation, extra direct soccer, extra swift breaks, extra of a continuing contest between Haaland and Burn.
Maybe it helped Haaland that he was arguably more energizing than at any stage of the marketing campaign. Having sat out the FA Cup win over Salford, he had not performed for 10 days. However it’s notable, too, that Guardiola didn’t substitute him as he seemed to carry on: Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush got here off however Haaland’s peak meant he was indispensable for defending set-pieces.
“His work ethic is superb. He was flying for each single ball in opposition to Dan [Burn],” mentioned Guehi. “It is not straightforward.” And Guardiola was grateful. He singled out Haaland for praised in a speech within the dressing room. “Generally I am a critic of him,” the Metropolis supervisor added. “However right now I mentioned, ‘man, with out you it could not be doable.’”