Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has asserted that striker Erling Haaland’s prolific goal-scoring places him on the same level as football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Guardiola pointed to Haaland’s impressive statistics as clear evidence of his elite status. He made the comments following City’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, where Haaland scored two goals.
“Of course he is, you just have to look at his numbers,” Guardiola said when asked about the comparison.
Haaland has already netted 26 goals for Manchester City and the Norwegian national team in the early part of the season. Of these, 13 have come in the English Premier League, where he currently leads the scoring charts.
Guardiola acknowledged the extended careers of the Argentine and Portuguese superstars. “The difference is that Messi and Ronaldo have been doing this for 15 years, but this [Haaland] is also on another level,” he noted.
The City boss praised Haaland’s intense focus. “He has that hunger for goals that makes him an elite player,” Guardiola stated, adding that coaching him is “incredible.”
Guardiola also indicated the team’s reliance on Haaland. “Without him, it will be difficult, to be honest,” he said.
He emphasized the need for other players to contribute goals. “It’s like when we had Messi or Cristiano, their influence on the game is enormous. But of course, we need goals from others, from Phil [Foden], from Tijjani [Reijnders] and the others who had chances,” Guardiola commented.
The manager mentioned the return of Omar Marmoush and the good form of other players. Manchester City’s squad includes Portuguese internationals Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, and Rúben Dias.
Manchester City’s next fixture will be against Haaland’s former club, Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund is scheduled to visit City on Wednesday for a Champions League group stage match.