A staggering statistic got here to gentle following Manchester Metropolis’s opening-day victory at Chelsea. Erling Haaland turned the primary participant to finish simply three passes while enjoying 90 minutes beneath Pep Guardiola – the sport’s chief proponent of complete soccer. Simply three.
The revelation added gasoline to the hearth of an inquest that has been ongoing virtually since Haaland joined Man Metropolis in 2022. Can a striker actually be thought-about world class if he barely ever touches the ball?
Haaland has been scrutinised – extra so just lately – for averaging low contact counts in video games. The truth is, his contact rely is the bottom of any participant to attain three or extra targets in Europe’s huge 5 leagues for the reason that begin of final season – and but, his private aim tally is mind-blowing.
A zoomed-out strategy is finest right here.
Towards Ipswich, the week after scoring in a 2-0 win at Chelsea, the Norwegian worldwide accomplished as many passes as he took photographs on aim (seven). The top product was a Haaland hat-trick in a 4-1 win.
Journey ahead to this season’s first worldwide interlude, Haaland has amassed seven Premier League targets. No different striker within the division has even managed seven photographs on track.
To contextualise additional – after Haaland registered one other trio of targets in opposition to West Ham in matchweek three – his common hat-trick rely has shot as much as one in each 9.7 video games, whereas his six touches per shot stays the bottom of any participant in Europe.
He has now scored extra Premier League trebles than Wayne Rooney. He’s degree with Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and Harry Kane. He’s three shy of Alan Shearer, and 4 behind Sergio Aguero’s complete of 12. Certainly, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than that document is obliterated too. And this season he has the possibility to be the primary participant since Henry in 2004 to win the Golden Boot three years operating.
All this from a person who, in Roy Keane’s phrases, typically performs like a “League Two participant” exterior the field. “His common play is so poor, he has to enhance that”, Keane stated when Man Metropolis drew 0-0 with Arsenal final March. Query is, does that basically matter?
And if Haaland, the trendy sport’s most prolific scoring machine, doesn’t meet the composition – or fairly, soccer’s romanticised view – of the right No 9, then who does?
Haaland proves No 9 isn’t an actual science
Key attributes of the archetypal striker differ from supervisor to supervisor, pundit to pundit – magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, in spite of everything – however most depictions will check with lots of Haaland’s finest strengths. In that sense, he’s textbook.
Sturdy, bodily presence, pacey, direct and purposeful with motion, aggressive within the press, aerially sensible, and deadly between the width of the goal-frame. Even deadlier contained in the six-yard field.
Jamie Redknapp believes Haaland has “introduced strikers again into vogue”. Evaluate him with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, for instance – one other standout performer of the 2023/24 season – and the assertion rings notably true.
Watkins gained the Premier League’s award for ‘playmaker of the 12 months’, registering probably the most assists (13), whereas Haaland gained the Golden Boot for outscoring each competitor by a minimum of 5 targets.
Watkins, inside Unai Emery’s fluid system, is actively inspired to drop deep to become involved in group play, however scored eight fewer targets than his Manchester Metropolis counterpart. The England worldwide additionally generated decrease anticipated targets, fewer photographs on track, took a decrease proportion of his touches within the opposition field and compelled fewer excessive turnovers.
Not even the trendiest of No 9s – maybe excluding Kane, who scored 36 Bundesliga targets for Bayern Munich final 12 months – can compete with Haaland’s immense strike fee. Nor his potential to virtually solely reserve all of his finest work for the ultimate third, out and in of possession. He’s inspired to take action now greater than ever.
Haaland’s fundamental level of distinction, past the targets, is his positional self-discipline, trusted to keep away from nearly all of ball development and build-up phases, in favour of being the final word finisher.
“My job isn’t to be like Rodri, to manage a sport. It’s being within the field and ending the assaults,” he advised Sky Sports activities on opening weekend. “Do I have to be that extra concerned? That’s the million-dollar query.”
Current proof would counsel not.
Affecting the sport with out touching the ball?
Few strikers, if any, possess the worry issue that Haaland carries. His presence is sufficient to unsettle and unnerve even the steeliest of defenders.
Groups adapt to the specter of what he may do, earlier than he really does something in any respect.
Haaland is aware of, and Guardiola respects, that he’s a monster contained in the 18-yard field – the very best in world soccer – however seldom a world-class operator exterior it. Nor does he have to be.
Again in Could, Haaland himself reminded doubters of an essential side of his sport. “Ultimately, you possibly can play soccer with out touching the ball,” he stated.
“You are able to do it with actions, the psychological half, and the attention. If I can stretch centre-backs with a run, it’s arduous, nevertheless it’s my job.”
He’s proper.
As a substitute of sulking in frustration, chasing play, and looking for deeper involvement in areas of the pitch he can’t rating – England followers berated Kane for such behaviour at Euro 2024 – Haaland bides his time. He waits, delays, lingers, maybe feigns disinterest. And simply when the timing is true, he fires up.
It’s an artwork few have an important appreciation for. The power of a participant to punish any group who dare doubt his prosperity, even when he has spent a big proportion of a match comparatively nameless.
“His motion is so sensible,” stated Micah Richards on Saturday Night time Soccer just lately. “The velocity at which he does issues makes it so tough to defend in opposition to. When you get right into a race with him, it’s over.”
This season, it’s meant Haaland has been extra medical than ever, with ruthless effectivity. Seven targets from an xG of three.77. His private tally is larger than any groups’ ‘targets for’ column.
Guardiola is unsurprisingly impressed too. “I like when he runs loads. I like when he presses like an animal,” the supervisor stated after beating West Ham.
“There’s no central defender [that can stop him], not even with a gun. He’s so quick, so highly effective.”
Surrounded by craft and creativity
Why would us, mere mortals, dare problem Man Metropolis’s near-perfect course of? They’ve gained 19 of their 22 Premier League video games in 2024 – drawing three. And Haaland is on the centre of such a formidable system.
Put merely, encompass Haaland with enablers and he’ll do the remainder. Metropolis’s squad is full of technicians, people who function to service him. It’s telling that Haaland is the one participant listed as a ‘ahead’ on the membership’s official web site.
His uniqueness is deserving of its personal class.
“What we want is the group to play higher and higher to present him [Haaland] extra balls within the ultimate third,” Guardiola stated final weekend.
“With Rico [Lewis], Kevin [De Bruyne], [Ilkay] Gundogan, Bernardo [Silva], [James] McAtee, we’re going to create these conditions as a result of they’re actually good in small areas.”
Add Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Jack Grealish to that listing.
Would a deal with involvement within the pre-goal part finally profit Haaland? Or would it not serve to overcomplicate what’s already the slickest operation round?
“He’s enjoying a lot better in all the pieces,” Guardiola added. “The small print, he stays 20 minutes or half an hour after coaching periods. I’m actually happy for him.”
Haaland was fairly good earlier than. Scary to suppose he seems even higher now.
Watch Manchester Metropolis vs Arsenal, reside on Sky Sports activities Premier League, on Sunday, September 22; kick-off 4.30pm