Haaland 'bicycles' his way to historic Man City record; Guardiola compares him to Messi and Ronaldo

Erling Haaland scored two goals in Manchester City's 4-1 EPl success over Southampton on Saturday, as the Norwegian took his EPL tally for the season to 30. Besides his numbers, Pep Guardiola has put him at the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

football Erling Haaland bicycles his way to historic Manchester City record; Pep Guardiola puts him at Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo level-ayh

Ayush Gupta

First Published Apr 9, 2023, 5:51 PM IST | Last Updated Apr 9, 2023, 5:52 PM IST

Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has been a force for reigning English champion Manchester City this season. On Saturday, he entered the club's history books after netting a couple of goals during his side's away fixture in the English Premier League (EPL) against Southampton on Saturday. While the visitors won 4-1, Haaland scored two goals.

However, what was interesting was that the goals took his EPL season tally to 30, making him the first City player to reach the landmark. Overall, he became the tenth EPL player to attain the feat. On an intriguing note, Haaland has hammered ten goals in his last three ties across tournaments, averaging a goal every 20 minutes.

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Following Haaland's historic feat, City head coach Pep Guardiola put him on the same level as modern-day greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He articulated, "The second goal was amazing. It isn't easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass. His talent is outstanding."

"We need him. The first half was not our best level, but he changed the game. As a top scorer, we lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level. He scores many goals," added Guardiola while talking to BBC Sport.

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