After more than a month of long wait due to the FIFA World Cup break, the Premier League is finally back on playing terms and was kickstarted by the famous Christmas and Boxing Day fixtures. One notable star who did not feature in this year’s World Cup as his country, Norway did not qualify for the quadrennial competition, bided his time to train hard when his club teammates were away and his efforts soon paid off. Manchester City’s best investment in last summer, Erling Haaland picked up where he left off to score two goals against Leeds United last night and became the fastest footballer to reach 20 goals in the toughest football league in the world, doing it so in 14 games.
Missed Chances in the First Half, a Brace in the Second
The reigning champion started the game strong and dominated their opponents in terms of shots (26) and ball possession (69%) at Elland Road. Almost all but one of their chances went fruitless in the opening 45 minutes, but their perseverance on goal soon bore fruits, with Spain’s Rodri scoring for the Citizens in the added time.
Manchester City continued to show why they are the six-time Premier League champion by adding another two goals in the second half, with Norway’s sensation Erling Haaland scoring both of them. A poor pass from the Peacocks allowed England’s Jack Grealish to break away, before squaring a pass to his teammate to slot home his 19th league goal of the season. Fans did not have to wait long for the third goal as the same combination teamed up to score Haaland’s second goal of the evening and his 20th tally overall in this Premier League campaign. The striker played a one-two touch with the winger, with Haaland’s powerful strike too much for Leeds’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Haaland: Man of the Hour
With a couple of goals scored last evening, the 22-year-old forward broke the Premier League record by becoming the fastest player to reach 20 goals, seven games lesser than its previous record holder, former Sunderland forward Kevin Phillips. Haaland’s brace last night against Leeds United was his 25th and 26th goals in 20 games in all competitions for Manchester City. Since we are only approaching the halfway line of the football season, Erling Haaland would rewrite the history book for many many times, if and only if he can stay healthy for the rest of the season.
🔊 NEW RECORD! 🔊@ErlingHaaland wins the race to 20 #PL goals in record time, just 14 matches! ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/WPQXkOaqZw
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2022
Pep: “Should Have Scored More.”
During the post-match conference, Manchester City’s coach admitted that his young forward could have score a hat-trick or more in the game, if it was not for his missed opportunities, but his is delighted with the team’s performance last night nonetheless.
“We are delighted with how humble he is. He scored a lot of goals but he could have scored more. He help us a lot. He’s an exceptional guy with his work ethic and professionalism. It’s a great threat to our opponents, having him there,” Guardiola said after the match.
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(Photo Credits: TalkSPORT)
