Erling Haaland retreated deep to clear the ball right in the penalty area in the last minutes of injury time, contributing to preserving the 2-1 victory for Manchester City against Newcastle United and continuing to put pressure on Arsenal. A rare image of a center forward and if you don't know who Haaland is, perhaps many people will think it is a center-back.
No Man City player has had more clearances than Haaland in this match. In 123 previous Premier League appearances, only twice did he perform more clearances than that. Notably, this is also the match he has touched the ball the most since joining Etihad.
That comprehensive performance explains why coach Pep Guardiola said that Haaland was the best player of the match, even though Nico O'Reilly scored a double. The precise pass from the Norwegian striker opened up an opportunity for O'Reilly to score the decisive goal.
That was Haaland's seventh assist this season in the Premier League - only behind Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United. "He is a great player, very generous. I will never forget what Erling did for us" - Guardiola emphasized.
The difference is even clearer compared to Guardiola's comments after the victory over Liverpool, when he once complained that Haaland had not made enough effort in tackles with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. Against Newcastle, no one could criticize his fighting spirit, especially in physical encounters with Dan Burn.
The 10-day break - Haaland's longest this season when he did not play for both the club and the national team - may be a factor that helps him be more energetic. At the same time, the return of Omar Marmoush after the CAN Cup also brings tactical changes. In the 4-2-2-2 formation, Haaland has a partner in attack, allowed to move wider, confined to the penalty area from the right wing instead of being a key between the two center-backs.
He is showing more skill classes when retreating to support defense, participating in building play and breaking into space instead of just waiting for a chance to finish. Will the number of goals increase? Not sure. But this versatile version of Haaland is exactly what Man City needs in the decisive stage of the season.
The Citizens are entering a breathtaking sprint with Arsenal in the Premier League title race. In matches where opponents actively "concrete" or use strength to squeeze space, goals may not come easily for Haaland. But the performance against Newcastle shows that even when not directly scoring, he is still the most fearsome weapon.
A Haaland who knows how to retreat to support defense, is ready to compete, create and sacrifice for the team is the comprehensive version that every defense must be wary of. Newcastle can lock down the "gun barrel", but they forget that the Norwegian striker has many other ways to cause damage.
Today's victory is extremely important. Newcastle is a great team. Actually, Man City had a very tough match, but my players showed unbelievable form.
We won today, previously drew with Tottenham, everything happened step by step. 70% of my players have never experienced such pressure, and I also did not play. We understand that every other match of the season will be so tense, especially the last 5 home matches" - Guardiola shared.
