Manchester City got themselves firmly back on track with a win against Bournemouth this weekend, and Erling Haaland was the man in the middle of it all once again.
Last weekend, we saw Haaland stifled by Aston Villa as Manchester City fell to a disappointing defeat at Villa Park.
A win over Swansea in midweek in the Carabao Cup picked the spirits up, and Haaland wasn’t even involved in that 3-1 victory. But, the big striker was back for the visit of Bournemouth on Sunday, and he put the Cherries to the sword with two goals.
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The win lifted City up to second in the Premier League table, and took Haaland’s tally to 13 goals in the league in just ten games. He’s also got four in the Champions League in three matches.
Pep Guardiola after Manchester City v Everton - Premier League
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Is Pep Guardiola right about Erling Haaland?
Those utterly unthinkable numbers this season are just the norm for Erling Haaland now, though. He bagged 52 goals in 53 games for City in his first season in England, while returns of 38 goals in 2023/24 and 34 in 2024/25 suggest the Norwegian might have been slowing down.
That’s clearly not the case, with Haaland now on par with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to his manager Pep Guardiola.
Speaking after the win over Bournemouth, Guardiola said: “Have you seen the numbers of that guy? Of course he has [reached their level]. The numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years, Messi is still scoring two, three goals every game and Cristiano in Saudi Arabia, the same. This is that level.
“The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, going down on the grass saying, ‘I am going to score this’. I have said many times, he is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes. I always try to be open-minded with him and there are players who say, ‘what are you talking about?’ He is completely down to earth, he wants to do it and he lives for the goals. Without him, it would be tough to be honest.”
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Poll: Is Erling Haaland at Messi and Ronaldo’s level?
While Haaland’s goalscoring exploits are well-documented, it’s also noted that there’s been a change in the striker that aligns with Guardiola’s thoughts there. Haaland has shown leadership and maturity this season, something we’ve never really seen from him.
Obviously, he has a long way to go before he can truly be regarded in the same light as Messi and Ronaldo, but in terms of current form compared to those players at their peak, it’s hard to argue against the case that he’s on their level right now.
Rayan Cherki of Manchester City and France celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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Rayan Cherki is key to Haaland success
Much has been made of City’s reliance on Haaland and his goals. However, there is one player emerging as a vitally important piece of Guardiola’s ever-changing puzzle at the Etihad: Rayan Cherki.
Haaland recently praised Cherki’s involvement, as has Guardiola. And, it sounds like the man himself knows exactly how he can contribute best to this team.
After delivering two assists for Haaland at the weekend, Cherki said: “I know Erling, he knows me. When I play with him and he with me, it’s very simple. My job is to give the ball to Erling and he scores.”
It’s that service that is key to Haaland’s success. Unai Emery managed to limit Haaland with tight marking and restrictive play around the box last weekend, but very few teams can actually achieve that when the Norwegian is at his best, and when players like Cherki are seeking him out.