The Premier League kicked off this weekend, and among the main important matches, Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City delivered a decisive victory over Chelsea. At the end of the game, one of the standout players was intriguingly compared by his coach to stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
As the new season of English football began, the standout match of the opening weekend undoubtedly took place at Stamford Bridge. The game featured both the hosts, Chelsea, and the reigning champions, Manchester City, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash.
On one side, the team managed by the new coach Enzo Maresca faced a turbulent buildup as the Italian decided to exclude Raheem Sterling from the squad just hours before the match. This decision caused a stir within his camp, which issued strong statement after surprising snub for Premier League debut vs Man City.
On the other side, the visitors arrived with a winning mindset after their recent victory over Manchester United in the Community Shield final. Notably, for the City squad, the absence of Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, who recently finalized his move to Atletico Madrid, was a key highlight.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC at Stamford Bridge on August 18, 2024 in London, England.
Despite this, the visitors have a star in their attack who once again made his mark on the scoreboard. None other than Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who scored the opener in the first half. The match concluded with a 2-0 victory for City after Croatian midfielder Kovacic sealed the result.
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Erling Haaland takes a shot at Marc Cucurella after Manchester City’s win over Chelsea
Guardiola’s surprising post-match comparison
Following Manchester City’s first win of the season, it was the coach himself who showered his team with praise after the match. However, he placed particular emphasis on his star forward, Erling Haaland.
He not only praised Haaland’s technical and footballing qualities but also went so far as to compare his performance to that of two of the greatest players in football history: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In post-match remarks to the press, Guardiola stated: “In terms of numbers, he’s at that level. So I don’t know how he does it, but scoring 91 goals in 100 games in the Premier League, in this country, is incredible… He has the numbers of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who dominated the last decade, 15 years, absolutely everything.”
Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus F.C. is put under pressure by Lionel Messi of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between FC Barcelona and Juventus at Camp Nou on December 08, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors.
Erling Haaland’s numbers at Manchester City
With 91 goals and 15 assists across 100 appearances, Erling Haaland is a striker poised to break many of the records set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi since 2008. Over the next 12 months, Haaland will aim for a treble in the Premier League, including both titles and the Golden Boot. Achieving this would make him the first player to do so in several years.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates after scoring their team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St. James Park on August 21, 2022 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Upcoming matches for Manchester City
- vs Ipswich Town, August 24th
- vs West Ham, August 31st
