Pep Guardiola backed Erling Haaland to reach goal figures like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester City striker added to his “ridiculous” record with a hat-trick against Ipswich.
The 24-year-old scored his 10th treble in sky blue as the reigning Premier League champions bounced back from Sammie Szmodics’ shock opener for Kieran McKenna’s promoted side.
Haaland’s spot-kick quickly cancelled that out and, after Kevin De Bruyne punished an Aro Muric error, the sharpshooter put City further ahead at the Etihad Stadium.
So good to be back home! 💙 pic.twitter.com/dC7Bu7iz0F
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) August 24, 2024
The Tractor Boys battened down the hatches after a wild opening 16 minutes, but the Norway international would not be denied the match ball as he rifled home two minutes from time to make it 4-1.
“I think he feels better than the previous season,” Guardiola said of Haaland.
“After the treble, he struggled to handle it, and maybe not too much holidays. I remember at the beginning he said ‘still I’m tired, still I am a little bit drained’.
“This season for no Euros, relax and arrive really well. We talked a little bit in the States (on City’s pre-season tour), like I didn’t like some things and he changed his mind.
“Of course he cannot play all the games until the end of the season, but you know how important he is, the numbers, the scoring goals and goals, is unbelievable.”
Put to Guardiola he already has as many Premier League hat-tricks – seven – as Manchester United’s all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney, the City boss said: “He did it in Salzburg, he did it in Germany. Yeah, the numbers are ridiculous. Ridiculous.
Another one 😎🎩 pic.twitter.com/gVDNxhrAel
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 24, 2024
“So, he can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano and Messi. The numbers are unbelievable at his short age, the amount of goals, and he is an incredible threat for us.
“We are really, really happy to have him, and hopefully he can be here for many, many years. It would be really good for us.”
Ipswich’s first-ever visit to the Etihad Stadium ended in a heavy loss but manager McKenna was proud of his players’ efforts against a side chasing a historic fifth straight Premier League crown.
“We got off to a fantastic start, scored a great goal in the transition,” the Town boss said.
“Probably the exact goal that we wanted to score today, and we knew that we could score with their line being high and Sammie and Omari (Hutchinson) making runs behind, and he finishes it off well.
“We get off to a great start and then, of course, the game was lost in a five-minute spell where there’s some big lessons for us to learn, and I’m sure we’ll do that.
“The first goal is a penalty where it’s not a very dangerous situation. Of course, a one-v-one but you know you’re going to have to face them in this level.
“But being disciplined to not give away the penalty is really important and a 1-0 lead that if we had managed to hold onto for 10, 15 minutes I think the base was there for us to have a really competitive game today.
“I think everyone was comfortable with the plan that we came in with and how we executed it in the first few minutes.
“But 1-0 goes to 2-1 in the space of a matter of seconds more so than minutes and the feel of the game changes completely.”
McKenna took positives from the way Ipswich got back hold of things and showed resilience, plus felt they should have had a penalty just before half-time for a foul by Savinho on Leif Davis.
“I think we had, in my eyes, a clear penalty that we should have went in at 3-2,” he said.
“I know City could have had other goals, but I think we should go in at 3-2. It’s a really hard one to understand how it wasn’t given.”
[(Real Oviedo) Strength]: 1. Real Oviedo are undoubtedly motivated to start with a win in this home game.2. The newly promoted team this season, Real Oviedo, performed well last season. Since November, they have only lost 3 of 18 competitive games at home, securing 11 victories.[(Real Oviedo) Neutral]: 1. Real Oviedo lost the last 2 encounters between the two teams, but their last one was 12 years...
[(AC Milan) Strength]: 1. AC Milan invested in transfer funds this summer, with strong signings like Luka Modric joining the team, significantly boosting their strength. The club has no concerns about European competitions in the new season and can fully focus on the league, with their goal firmly set on the league title. This match marks their first home game of the new season, and the San Siro h...
[(Pohang Steelers) Strength]: 1. Pohang Steelers forward Lee Ho Jae is 5th with 11 goals in the top-scorer standings. He scored 2 goals in the last 3 league games, and his recovered form helped the team rebound.2. Pohang Steelers won 1-0 over FC Anyang in the last game, securing a 3-game winning streak and ending their losing streak.3. Pohang Steelers scored 8 goals in the last 5 home games, showi...
[(Cruz Azul) Strength]: 1. Cruz Azul are one point behind the leaders. They are motivated to win this game and top the table.2. Cruz Azul forward Angel Sepulveda are 1st with 5 goals in the top-scorer standings. He scored 2 goals in the last 3 league games, being important on the team's offensive end.3. Cruz Azul won 3-2 over Santos Laguna in the last match, securing a 2-game winning streak. The t...
[(Fulham) Strength]: 1. Forward Rodrigo Muniz came off the bench in the first league game and scored at the final moment, helping the team secure a point.2. Fulham continue to be active in the Transfermarkt, with reports indicating they are still vigorously pursuing AC Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze.3. Fulham scored in 4 consecutive games across all competitions, revealing stable offense.4. Fulham...
[(Schalke 04) Strength]: 1. Schalke 04's recent performance was unsatisfactory. In this home game, they will try to win and get back on the winning ways, fully motivated.2. Bryan Lasme put in an impressive performance in the previous game – he scored the winning goal in extra time, helping the team secure a victory and advance in the DFB-Pokal.3. Schalke 04 scored 3 goals and conceded 2 in t...
[(Lyonnais) Strength]: 1. Lyonnais have won the first Ligue 1 round in the new season and they are eager to extend their winning record at home, with full motivation.2. Lyonnais secured a season-opening victory with a narrow 1-0 away win over RC Lens in the first round of the new Ligue 1 season. Throughout the game, Lyonnais had a 44% possession rate, 11 shots and 3 shots on target. They did not d...
[(AS Roma) Strength]: 1. In the 38 games of last season, AS Roma finally achieved 20 wins, 9 draws and 9 losses, finishing 5th in the league. They secured a qualification for this season's UEFA Europa League, with a remarkable performance.2. AS Roma scored a total of 56 goals in 38 games last season, and have netted 9 goals in 6 recently played games, maintaining a solid performance in the attacki...
[(Charlton Athletic) Strength]: 1. Charlton Athletic played a 0-0 draw with Bristol City in their last game. Although this halted their winning streak, the team have achieved 3 wins and 1 draw in their last 4 games, and their performance is worthy of recognition.2. Charlton Athletic scored a total of 10 goals in their last 5 home games. The team's offensive performance in their home games has been...
[(1.FSV Mainz 05) Strength]: 1. On August 19th, in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, 1.FSV Mainz 05 secured a 1-0 away victory over Dynamo Dresden thanks to a goal from Nadiem Amiri, claiming a winning start to their campaign.2. 1.FSV Mainz 05 have signed leading striker Benedict Hollerbach from 1. FC Union Berlin, with the two parties agreeing a contract until 2029 and the transfer fee set at 10 ...
- 1 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Ruben Amorim gives cryptic response when asked about Andre Onana returning to starting XI for Fulham clash after Altay Bayindir blunder handed Arsenal victory
- 5 Transfer rumors, news: Arsenal could turn to Lyon's Fofana
- 6 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 7 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 8 TIPS - Gamba Osaka VS Yokohama FC
- 9 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives
- 10 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty