Erling Haaland’s stunning bicycle kick in Manchester City’s victory over Southampton will undoubtedly rank among his best goals. The 22-year-old prolific striker had been uncertain to start the match due to a groin injury, but he announced his return with a bang. His acrobatic connection with Jack Grealish’s cross was his second goal of the game, helping City to a 4-1 win and extending their winning streak to eight matches in all competitions.
Pep Guardiola, City’s manager, was full of praise for Haaland’s performance. He told BBC Sport: “We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level. 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 that City’s bosses had bought Haaland for this type of game, and that despite the team not playing at their best level, he still managed to get the goal.
Haaland has now equalled the record of 44 goals in all competitions by a Premier League player in one season. With 16 games left to play, he could shatter the record 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, making him the quickest player to reach that total in just 27 games.
Team-mate Kevin de Bruyne praised Haaland’s ability, saying: “He scores a lot of goals. It is insane. He is there. If we create chances he is there.” On Haaland’s spectacular second, De Bruyne joked: “You will never see me do that! You can get me to Southampton hospital if I do that!” He added that Haaland is happy at City and knows they create a lot of chances for him.
Former Premier League defender Danny Gabbidon described Haaland’s finish as “outrageous” and Jonathan Pearce said on BBC Match of the Day: “I’ve been doing this job for 42 years and I cannot remember seeing a goalscorer like this. He is a goalscoring machine. I’m lost for superlatives. Absolutely stunning.”
Haaland has outscored eight Premier League teams in his first season with City, who signed him from Borussia Dortmund for £51.2m in July. His performance also enabled De Bruyne to become only the fifth player to reach 100 Premier League assists, and the quickest to do so – in 237 games. Reflecting on his own achievement, De Bruyne 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.”