Can Haaland really score 63 goals this season?
Erling Haaland, son of Manchester City legend Alfie Haaland, signed with Manchester City this summer, after a few years in the Bundesliga playing for Borussia Dortmund. Following the move, tons of pressure was put on Haaland, as many rated him as one of the best strikers in the world.
Before signing for City, Haaland had torn apart the German league, the Bundesliga. This previous year, At Borussia Dortmund, Haaland had scored 22 goals in just 24 games . This scoring prowess caught the attention of many clubs, but Haaland decided to join Manchester City. Whether it was for guaranteed success under legendary manager Pep Guardiola and owner Sheikh Mansour, who’s worth over 17 billion, or to follow in the footsteps of his father, Haaland signed with City.
Despite the hype and awareness of 21-year-old Haaland, Manchester City was able to buy him for $51 million. To the unaware fan, this deal is astronomically expensive, but with the way the Soccer market has been for the past couple of years, this is a steal.
As soon as the deal was signed, articles, opinions and hot takes were thrown around the internet regarding Haaland’s ability, weaknesses and ceiling. Many compared him to Liverpool’s summer signing, Darwin Nuñez, a young prolific striker from Benfica. However, as soon as the Premier League season began, Haaland smashed every expectation put on him.
The recently turned 22-year-old has scored an astonishing 15 goals in 9 premier league games, scoring three hat tricks as well. This past weekend in a rout against Southampton, he scored once again, taking his goal-scoring streak to 9 games straight.
This scoring streak has been otherworldly. Many football fans around the world are shocked by the level of finishing Haaland has put forth. His goals have not just been coverups for average performances, as he has been the standout player for City.
If Haaland were to continue scoring at the rate that he is now, he would rack up 63 league goals. This would smash Liverpool winger Mo Salah’s 2017-2018 season record of 32. When Mo Salah scored 32 goals in 39 games, many believed that this record could not be topped, as that rate of scoring was absurd. But, with Haaland scoring over 1.5 goals per game, it is inevitable that records are going to be shattered.
Although Haaland is unlikely to score 63 goals in the Premier League this season, the world waits and wonders how many goals he will score. Is this rate of goals per game even possible to keep up consistently? With Haaland, it seems so.
To continue, Haaland has a team around him that will only support him toward more goals. His team includes players like Belgium superstar Kevin De Bruyne, who was one goal away from breaking the Premier League assist record in 2019-2020 when he tied with Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry’s record from the 2002-2003 level. Kevin De Bruyne is not just an assist machine, but a pure soccer player. His ability to win games single-handedly has been a massive aid to Manchester City winning 4 titles in the past 5 years. Kevin De Bruyne, also known as KDB, will only give Erling Haaland more chances in front of the goal.
Another key figure in the Manchester City side is Phil Foden. Foden is a 22-year-old winger, who won the PFA young player of the year award in the 2021-2022 season. His ability to weave through defenses, score and create chances is incredible to watch. His attacking prowess will only give Haaland more chances to shatter records.
With Haaland in astronomical form, the soccer world continues to fear when their team plays against him. It seems no one can stop him, and if he stays fit, no one will. To see what the hype is all about, tune into any Manchester City game this year, and you will see why this young man can break every scoring record in the Premier League.