Erling Haaland made his presence felt in his Premier League debut against West Ham, scoring a brace which would deliver Manchester City their first win of the season.
The first goal scored by the Norwegian came from the penalty spot, after the Hammers’ second-choice goalkeeper Alphonse Areola tripped Haaland as he closed in on goal.
The second came in the 65th minute, after Kevin De Bruyne sent a seamless pass through West Ham’s defence, landing right at Erling Haaland’s feet before he curled the ball effortlessly into the back of the net.
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Discussing his performance with broadcasters after the match, the Premier League debutant remained humble as he described the Cityzens’ first match as a ‘good start’, making it clear that this momentum will have to continue in the coming fixtures.
“(It was a) good start, there is nothing much to say other than that and it was 2-0. Good start,” said Haaland.
"It was good to get some minutes in the legs, it’s still early in the season and we have to keep going.”
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Erling Haaland’s goal tally nearly exceeded a brace, as he could have ended the game with upwards of four goals.
A cross from Jack Grealish in the 69th minute would have completed the Norwegian’s first hat-trick in Sky Blue, however he headed the ball over the bar.
The second goal in which Haaland missed out on was right before he was replaced by Julian Alvarez, when Ilkay Gundogan crossed a ball to where the Norwegian was supposed to be in the six-yard box.
When discussing his missed opportunities, Erling Haaland stated that the errors made at the London Stadium will be ironed out through training, emphasising that he is not worried about missed attempts.
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"It’s about the connections we do everyday in training and practising so we get better and this will come even more, so I’m not worried,” said Haaland.
Fans got a teaser of how Erling Haaland could slot into Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola’s squad during the team’s pre-season tour of the United States.
However, when it came time for the Community Shield against Liverpool, it looked as if the pieces were falling into place.
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The Norwegian superstar explained that the lack of cohesion is not worrying as it will come with time.
“As expected, we saw the potential already against Bayern (Munich in pre season) and it was a little bit down against Liverpool.
“It will come with games, the passes will come, it should have been more today.”
Topics: Erling Haaland, West Ham United, Manchester City, Premier League, Football
