Erling Haaland answered any doubts about his scoring ability on Tuesday, scoring the solitary goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Brentford, propelling them to second position in the Premier League rankings.
With one game remaining in the title race that appears certain to go down to the wire, Pep Guardiola’s team, who has gone undefeated in their past ten league games and even in games against title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, leads Arsenal by one point with 56 points.
In fourteenth place, Brentford is five points clear of the relegation zone.
After missing nine opportunities to score in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea three days prior, Haaland had pushed a camera in desperation. However, he was back to his best, bringing his league total to 17 goals.
In the 71st minute, the Norwegian broke the deadlock by sprinting onto a gorgeous through ball from Julian Alvarez, beating goalie Mark Flekken and stroking it past a sliding Kristoffer Ajer.
Haaland has now scored in his matches with every Premier League team. He hasn’t played for Luton Town yet.
Haaland’s detractors received a warning from Guardiola, who also mentioned that the Norwegian had just gone through a trying time in his personal life.
“Strikers with a lot of skill score goals; don’t criticise them; they’ll shut up.” He will arrive sooner or later, Guardiola informed reporters.
In addition to missing two months of work due to a foot ailment, he also lost his grandma. It is difficult for a human to do. He didn’t mention his grandmother’s death when we talked about the incident, which I realised afterward. Erling is essential in a game like Brentford.
Guardiola said that he had benched playmaker Kevin De Bruyne due to “hamstring niggles.”
Late in the game, Haaland, who had only scored twice in his previous seven games, had another effort disallowed due to Kyle Walker’s offside during the build-up.
Apart from Haaland’s goal, Chelsea again frustrated City on Tuesday. City had 25 shots, 11 of which were on goal, compared to Brentford’s two, with Flekken turning in a standout performance.
Oscar Bobb, making his Premier League debut, had one of City’s better opportunities when he skillfully sidestepped Christian Norgaard and fired a shot that defender Ben Mee raced back to almost push off the line.
Frank Onyeka, on a feed from Yoane Wissa, had a great early chance for Brentford, but he blasted straight at City custodian Ederson.
“It wasn’t simple. On the counterattack, we scored a goal,” Manuel Akanji, a defender for City, stated. “The defender made an early mistake, and Haaland’s efficiency was evident.” He got a fantastic goal.
“If Kristoffer doesn’t slip, it was an unfortunate situation, and I’m sure it was never meant to be a goal,” he remarked. “Kristoffer is exactly as quick as Haaland, therefore it would never have been a goal. The quality of the city is adequate. The margins working in their favour are not necessary. We probably needed it more than they did.
