Erling Haaland swore on live TV after dazzling on his Premier League debut for Manchester City.
City controlled the game from start to finish as Pep Guardiola’s side came out 2-0 winners, with Haaland scoring both.
After a cagey first half an hour, Haaland was put through by a clever pass from Ilkay Gundogan and was brought down by West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola. Haaland cooly dispatched his spot kick to give his side a 1-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, Haaland stole the show again as he latched onto a beautifully crafted through ball by Kevin de Bruyne and calmly slotted home to secure all three points.
The Norway international could’ve had a hat trick but was unable to find a third goal before being subbed off in the 78th minute.
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After the match, Haaland expressed his disappointment in not scoring three by using some rather colourful language.
He said: “I should’ve been there so a bit s**t but that’s how it is.”
Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves warned Haaland about his language, Haaland responded brilliantly with: “Ah s**t, sorry.” before the pair burst into laughter.
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Haaland is clearly a real character on and off the pitch.
On the team’s overall performance, Haaland said it was a good start to the season.
He added: “It was a good start. It’s still early in the season so it’s good to get minutes in the legs. We saw the potential against Bayern [in pre-season] and against Liverpool it was a little bit down but it will come with games. The passes will come. It should have been more today, an OK start.
“It’s all about the connections in training everyday and practising this. We’ll get better than this, I’m not worried.”
A firm warning to the rest of the teams in not just the Premier League but also around Europe as Haaland and City mean business this season.
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They will be looking to win a fifth title in six seasons and perhaps more importantly, a first ever Champions League trophy.
Europe’s premier club competition remains the only trophy that Guardiola hasn’t won at City and he will be hoping Haaland can fire them to glory.
Up next for City will be newly promoted side Bournemouth at the Etihad, where Haaland is expected to make his home debut for the reigning Champions.
Topics: Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Premier League
Marcus Chan