Erling Haaland must have done something right this season if he had forced Roy Keane to admit his mistake.
The Manchester City striker was once called by a former Manchester United midfielder, now a commentator for Sky Sports, who described him as "like a League Two player". However, after Haaland scored twice in the Manchester derby earlier this month, Keane had to admit - perhaps with a reluctant voice - that the Norwegian striker had played "very well".
"He's a player of the tournament now," Keane added, with a shy smile.
Given the long-standing hesitation between Keane and Haaland's family - which originated from the scandal with Alf-Inge Haaland nearly 25 years ago - any statement Keane makes about the striker needs to be taken seriously. However, it is undeniable that despite the controversy over his overall playing style, Haaland's statistics are enough to put him on par with the best strikers in the world.
In the Premier League, considered the toughest tournament on the planet, Haaland has scored 91 goals in 102 matches. In the UEFA Champions League, the pinnacle of club football, he has 50 goals in just 49 appearances. That achievement - nearly one goal per game - is a clear testament to Haaland's extraordinary stability since his debut.
This season, Haaland is still doing his familiar thing: scoring. He is currently leading the Premier League Golden Boot race with 6 goals in 5 matches, and has a total of 7 goals in 6 matches in all competitions. However, what caught the attention of experts even demanding like Roy Keane was other aspects of his playing style.
In the Premier League, Haaland has averaged 24.6 touches per game, maintaining consistency compared to his three full seasons in England. But when playing at home, the Norwegian striker has made a more obvious impact. He averaged 8 touches in the box per game, a sharp increase compared to 5.6 last season and 4.6 in the previous season.
Not only did Haaland score, he also showed progress in his ability to support the defense. He has averaged two clearances per game, up from 0.7 last season, and 4.3 defensive interventions per game - higher than any previous season.
In addition, the 24-year-old's movement intensity has also improved significantly, with the number of sprints increasing from 18 to nearly 30 times per 90 minutes.
5 games are a small sample, but it's clear that Haaland has taken some of what Pep Guardiola stressed in the summer when talking about his expectations.
"I feel that when thinking about the future, he needs to learn what is best for the team. Put the team and teammates first. We always have to wonder what is best for the team," Guardiola shared.
If after the Manchester derby, Keane was still satirical about Haaland, now he has admitted the change in the Norwegian striker. "Everything is getting clearer," Keane said. According to those close to him, Haaland is increasingly aware of his responsibility as a pillar of Man City as well as the national team.
The 24-year-old striker missed the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield in midweek due to a back injury, but The Citizens expect him to return in time to welcome Burnley at the Etihad. Guardiola certainly needs his player, not just to score.
"Haaland played great from the start, but this season he is better than ever," the Spaniard affirmed.
