Mueez Ajao
– It is no secret Erling Haaland scores lots of goals – but his stunning bicycle kick in Manchester City’s victory over Southampton will undoubtedly rank among his best.
– There was uncertainty over whether the prolific 22-year-old would start on Saturday after a groin injury, but he announced his return in style by connecting with Jack Grealish’s cross in acrobatic fashion.
– That was his second goal of the game as title-chasing City recorded a 4-1 win at St Mary’s to extend their winning run to eight matches in all competitions and maintain pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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– “We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level,” manager Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport.
– “The second goal was amazing. It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass.”
– Guardiola added: “I think our bosses bought him for this type of game. We are uncomfortable and not playing at our best level but he gets the goal.
– “The second, you can’t imagine at his height he has this ability. Exceptional goal.”
– City, English champions in four of the past five seasons, signed Haaland from Borussia Dortmund for what increasingly appears a bargain £51.2m in July.
– Nine months later and the Norway striker has equalled the record of 44 goals in all competitions by a Premier League player in one season.
– Through to the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals, he could have 16 games to shatter that mark set by Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003 and Mohamed Salah in 2018.
– His overhead second at St Mary’s was also his 30th league goal of the campaign. Taking just 27 games, he has reached that total quicker than anyone else.
– “He scores a lot of goals. It is insane. He is there. If we create chances he is there,” said team-mate Kevin de Bruyne.
– On Haaland’s spectacular second, the Belgian joked: “You will never see me do that! You can get me to Southampton hospital if I do that!
– “Haaland is happy here,” he added. “He knows we create a lot of chances and he does the rest.”
– Only two other players have scored 30 or more goals in their first season in the Premier League, with Andrew Cole reaching 34 in 1993-94 and Kevin Phillips netting 30 in 1999-00.
– Haaland has, with about a quarter of the season remaining, outscored eight Premier League teams.
– In setting up Haaland’s first of the match, De Bruyne reached a landmark of his own as he became only the fifth player to reach 100 Premier League assists, and the quickest to do so – in 237 games.
– On his own achievement, the Belgium playmaker said: “We scored a lot of goals in the eight years I have been here. I have been blessed with the team-mates here.
– “It is nice. Maybe when I am done playing football it is something I will look back on.”
