It was the clearest example of how much a top-notch striker can make a big difference for his team. And it is also an affirmation once again of why Erling Haaland is among the best players in the world today.
Manchester City may have fallen to Everton at the Etihad, but instead, they won 2-0. Football is a collective sport - where success never relyes on just one individual. However, sometimes that is true.
The first half ended with a score of 0-0, and the impatience gradually spread throughout the Etihad stands when the clock was almost over. However, within just a short 5 minutes, Haaland had his first two shots in the match - scoring two goals and deciding the result.
The opening goal was a dangerous header, while the second goal was a tight, neat shot. The two shots were different, but the result was the same - the ball was in the net.
"He's our key player, what more should I say? Erling lives for those moments. Today we passed the ball better, and he was really the centerpiece of the team's play.
It was a typical first half after the international break. We had difficulty controlling the second ball, it was not easy. Everton and David Moyes are doing their job very well. They play long, defend disciplinedly and are experienced. But when we broke the deadlock, everything became much easier" - Pep Guardiola said after the match.
As a mid-table Premier League side, Everton probably won't have a striker like Haaland. But David Moyes, when standing on the touchline, must have thought: "What a price I have for such a player".
His team played very well in the first half, to the point where they should have taken the lead when the half ended. There was a memorable moment when Nathan Ake's pass was broken in midfield, Iliman Ndiaye quickly cut the ball, rushed into the penalty area and made a dangerous cross.
Beto chose an accurate location, moving intelligently. However, right at the decisive moment, when he only needed a light touch to put the ball into the net, he could not finish.
Beto actually did nothing wrong, we cannot blame him in the above situation. But that is the kind of opportunity you have to take if you want to win at the Etihad.
And while our team failed to take advantage of the opportunity, Haaland did not miss it. Right at the first chance, he finished neatly, taking the ball out of Jordan Pickford's reach after a delicate pass from Nico O'Reilly.
The Norwegian striker then completed a double with a low shot through James Tarkowski's legs and the ball continued to roll past Pickford. That is the difference between a good striker and a top striker in the world.
That was enough for David Moyes to find Haaland after the match. "I told him that I wish he was playing somewhere else. Most coaches think so. I think we defended quite well against him, but Haaland still scored 2 goals himself. The first goal was the perfect model for a Man City goal.
We also had some great chances, but at the Etihad, those chances didn't come as many," said the Everton captain.
In mid-October alone, Haaland has scored 23 goals in 13 matches for both club and country this season. In the Premier League alone, the Norwegian striker has scored 11 goals in just 8 matches.
That achievement put Haaland in the group of players with the most explosive start to the season in the history of the tournament. Only three times in Premier League history has a player surpassed the 10-goal mark after the first 8 rounds. And all three of those times were under Haaland's name.
