Pep Guardiola usually lets his Manchester City players pick their leadership group each summer but this season he chose it himself, and added Erling Haaland as fourth captain behind Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rodri. It was a sign of Guardiola seeing leadership qualities in Haaland, and has led to further enhancing of the Norwegian’s game.
Haaland takes chances as usual and now takes more responsibility. His work out of possession for City here at the Emirates, making interceptions and headed clearances, showed how his game continues to mature. When Haaland, inevitably City’s goalscorer, went off with 15 minutes remaining, having run himself into the ground, Arsenal fully believed they could get back into the game and take a point in a 1-1 draw of benefit mainly to leaders Liverpool.
Haaland’s early goal was his 91st in 102 Premier League games, a phenomenal tally that has him accelerating towards joining Premier League greats like Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry. It is easy to look at such stats and hail Haaland. What makes the Norwegian even more special are those contributions that don’t end with the ball in the net. His work off the ball has always been willing but is now even more effective.
Erling Haaland Was on Another Level
In the headline battle of the Scandinavian strikers, the Norwegian Haaland was on a different level to Arsenal’s Swede, Viktor Gyökeres. Haaland is the best forward in the Premier League. It is why when City’s No 9 strolled on after the final whistle that Arsenal players like Declan Rice and Gabriel came over to chat, not simply to shake hands, but to talk, adversaries now acquaintances. Arsenal players respect him. David Raya walked across and embraced the opponent who slid the ball past him after nine minutes. Opponents see the talent, the threat and the work ethic but also see a fair competitor. Haaland doesn’t dive, doesn’t leave his foot in, and doesn’t waste time unlike some of his City team-mates. He’s a role model and, increasingly, a leader for City.
He's also partly responsible for changes in City’s football. Guardiola’s team have evolved their game, and varied it, going long at times knowing that Haaland has the pace to destroy defences. They are not so reliant on lengthy passing moves. They managed only 32% possession against Arsenal. City can mix their approaches up. Haaland can take the ball to feet, and turn with it or lay it off, bringing others into play. He can fight physical centre-backs like Gabriel or out-run silkier, swifter centre-backs like William Saliba. Arsenal needed two defenders to cope with City’s sole striker, and still he scored.
There is plenty of wordy theorising about new trends in football. The current focus is on the increase in long balls and long throws. The best teams have always had a variety of weapons. Liverpool under Bob Paisley in the 70s and 80s could keep the ball or counter, could pass opponents off the park or fight them. Manchester United evolved under Sir Alex Ferguson three or four times in his three decades in charge, especially in Europe, not risking the ball so much. Liverpool have become even more sophisticated in the 13 months under Arne Slot, from focused mainly on control in midfield to more dynamism and creativity. The transformation is embodied by Ryan Gravenberch; he’s gone from a defence-focused No 6 to more attacking.
Haaland's Goal Against Arsenal Showcased His Talents
And so with City. Guardiola is a professor of the game. He knows that systems work best when they are shaped by players’ strengths. Haaland’s touch and awareness of team-mates’ movement were vital in the counter-attack he finished off so expertly. Haaland dropped deep, into his own half, and drew Arsenal players to him like moths to a flame. Six of them. It meant that if he could manipulate the ball, touched to him by Rodri, quickly out of this small rectangle of Arsenal pressure, City had a vast unguarded expanse to run into.
So he turned away from Gabriel and Martin Zubimendi and slipped the ball through to Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutchman knew exactly what to do, racing forward, shaping to go left, before laying the ball right into the path of the sprinting Haaland. Gabriel and Saliba are good international-class defenders but they couldn’t live with Haaland’s pace. Raya couldn’t cope with his shot, placed low past him and in.
Haaland in a Rich Vein of Form
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That made it 13 in eight games for City and Norway this season. Haaland’s clinical touch is almost being taken for granted. There is a strong case to be made that he is not appreciated enough. The numbers are incredible. On Thursday, Haaland scored in the win over Napoli to reach 50 Champions League goals in 49 games, 13 quicker than Ruud van Nistelrooy and 17 faster than Lionel Messi. He’s relentless.
He's also maturing into a very fine team player, reflected by his promotion to City’s leadership group. As Arsenal began to respond after the break, Haaland made some important clearances, cutting out a Leandro Trossard pass here, heading away a Zubimendi cross there.
Would he tire? That was the concern, especially as he was largely playing upfront on his own, occasionally supported by Jeremy Doku. He’s started all six of City’s games this season, playing in all but 45 minutes of the 540. After 71 minutes, Haaland spoke to Guardiola’s assistant, Kolo Toure, and within four minutes was being replaced by Nico Gonzalez. Psychologically that must have been uplifting to Arsenal. Gone was City’s best outlet (although Doku ran hard) and one of City’s best defenders at set-pieces.
Viktor Gyokeres Still Getting to Grips With Teammates
Arsenal were further emboldened. Mikel Arteta had realised at the break how overly cautious it was to play three defensive midfielders and sent on Eberechi Eze for Mikel Merino. Gabriel Martinelli eventually ran on to an Eze pass to rescue a deserved point for Arsenal. Yet what Arsenal need if they are to have any hope of catching Liverpool is for Gyökeres to get up to speed.
Arsenal’s No 14 is not in the class of the Liverpool pair of Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak and certainly nowhere near Haaland’s class. He scored a hat-trick for Sporting against City in the Champions League last season but two of those were penalties, and City were struggling at the time. Gyökeres is a good striker, and already has three goals in five Premier League games, but needs time for his new team-mates to read his runs. He will do better with Eze or Martin Ødegaard starting.
Arsenal tried to get Gyökeres involved on the left, a seam he has mined productively over his career. Riccardo Calafiori inverted into midfield, Trossard dropped back on the left at times, dragging the City right-back Abdukodir Khusanov with him, freeing some space for Gyökeres to try to exploit. Dias read the threat, and covered across. Gyökeres was living off scraps, and his first touch lacks the adhesive nature of Haaland’s. Few do. We are witnessing greatness developing before our eyes—with the numbers to match. Erling Haaland: striker, finisher, leader.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Erling Haaland Gives Viktor Gyokeres a Striker's Masterclass .