Pep Guardiola says all 'new Lionel Messi's' fail amid Erling Haaland comparisons

The general consensus among not just Manchester City supporters, but football fans as a whole is that they have never seen a player tear the Premier League to shreds like Erling Haaland has done so far.

With 14 goals in just eight English top-flight games, the Norway international has made a mockery of the league - which is regarded by many as the best domestic competition in the world.

After registering a treble of strikes in the Manchester Derby last weekend, the City superstar became the fastest player in the division’s history to reach three hat-tricks, doing so in just eight matches.

For context, the previous record holder was Michael Owen, who achieved the same feat in 48 games.

As Manchester City’s blockbuster number nine looks set to break Mohamed Salah’s all-time record of scoring 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season, an added advantage at his disposal is that Norway failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup.

Ahead of his side’s upcoming game against Southampton, Pep Guardiola revealed whether he is over the moon that his star striker will enjoy a well-earned rest, as the competition runs for over three weeks.

“Of course not," he began.

"It is amazing for a football player to play there, it is a shame for the fans who want to see the best players possible."

Pep Guardiola added, “The joke is good (a petition for him to be banned).

"He will have a holiday for a few weeks during the World Cup and then he will be back and training.”

With Erling Haaland’s goalscoring rate being unprecedented so far, his unstoppable displays have drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi, especially during his time under the Catalan coach's tutelage.

“Nothing is comparable with Leo Messi," the Manchester City boss replied.

“How many new Messi's is there? Ten or 15 but they all fail.”

Recently, Pep Guardiola sided with the Argentine legend in the debate, considering his ability to create chances for himself and run an entire game on his own.

This is as opposed to Erling Haaland, who is much more a traditional striker.

Ultimately, the fact that Erling Haaland’s devastating displays have drawn parallels to arguably the greatest player of all time just emphasises his incredible impact so early in a Manchester City shirt.