Haaland: I’m a striker and I want to spend as much time as possible in the penalty area. I don’t want to go to the edges, what would I do there?

Erling Haaland shone again in the Manchester derby on Sunday and has started this season in such a way that if this cadence holds he will break many previous records that will pale in envy compared to his stats. Before that, though, he popped over to chat with Gary Neville.

Haaland is everywhere you look at the moment. And it’s no wonder, the goal machine destroyed city rivals Manchester United with his third hat-trick of the current Premier League season on Sunday and we’re only at the start of his career.

Also joining Haaland for the post-match interview was his strike partner Phil Foden, who has already scored 6 goals in 11 games, which is also a very respectable statistic. However, when we compare it to the Norwegian hitman’s 17 goals, it looks a bit ridiculous.

Haaland is proving to England and the whole world that the Premier League is not as tough a competition as everyone claims. After all, the goalscoring output of Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son last season, which stands at 23 league goals, will be surpassed by the 22-year-old Norwegian at this rate at the end of this month.

Ahead of the Manchester derby, Neville met him for a chat. The first topic they broached was coach Pep Guardiola.

“The day before the game, for example, he tells us what’s going to happen and it happens exactly as he said the next day. It’s crazy, sometimes I don’t know how it’s even possible, but he’s a football nut, a complete footballholic,” he told Sky Sports.

It is the Spanish coach’s strategy that is key to Haaland’s success. Together with him and also Kevin De Bryun they can do really amazing things. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without the others, which shouldn’t be forgotten, but this trio is a complete difference!

“I’m a striker, so I want to spend as much time as possible in the penalty area. I don’t want to go to the edges, what would I do there? There are others for that, so it’s logical. I’m a bit lonely up top sometimes, but I enjoy being alone,” continued the Norwegian forward.

Of course, the stats are consistent with this, as the vast majority of goals are scored by the 195 cm tall striker in the whitewash, more specifically right in front of the goal, where he is waiting for accurate passes from his teammates. His athletic ability and timing make him elusive.

“I think patience is the most important thing in football. Especially for me as a striker – to be patient, to be able to wait, not to think too much and not to stress is very important because I know I will get my chance soon. When I think like that, I’m always alert,” he concluded the interview with the former Manchester United defender.

Haaland could score his next hat-trick when Manchester City face Copenhagen in the Champions League, where they have won both of their matches so far. Erling himself has already scored 3 goals in them.

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