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In the wake of the record, Haaland has scored four hat tricks as compared to Salah’s one against Watford in the 2017-18 season. The lanky boy from Bryne, a quaint little town in Western Norway, is also second in terms of hat tricks in a single season, behind Shearer who scored 5 in the 1995-96 season. With a few games still left, Haaland is a strong contender to equal that feat as well.
When Haaland first arrived in England at the beginning of this season, there were questions on whether he could be a worthy successor to Sergio Aguero or if he’ll still be able to showcase the goal scoring prowess that made him lethal in RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. It is pretty safe to say that not only has he plugged the gaping hole Aguero left but has arguably surpassed him in certain aspects. Taking to the Premier League like a duck to water, Haaland was the proverbial missing piece of the puzzle which Manchester City and Pep Guardiola had been desperately searching for in the past couple of seasons.
In a league of his own! 💫@ErlingHaaland 🤝 pic.twitter.com/kQqA93OcNc
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 3, 2023
A hallmark of any true player is their ability to adapt. Since coming to England, there has been whispers in the wind that even though Haaland was scoring for fun, there was something amiss in his gameplay. While he was the missing cog in the City attack, he was not exactly fitting in terms of the rapid passing and buildup game.
He mostly would run in from the deep, get behind an opponent defence, latch on to the ball and score with a deft finish without getting too involved in the build up. Against Arsenal in the recent title decider, that part of his game suddenly burst forth as the striker played in a much deeper role and provided a sublime assist to Kevin de Bruyne for City’s first goal. He would mostly remain in this position the whole match which in turn caught the Gunners off guard as they weren’t sure of how to deal with the threat. If they zeroed in on Haaland, de Bruyne would be getting a free run from the midfield and this indecision ultimately led to their eventual downfall.
Coming back to Salah’s remarkable feat just 5 seasons ago, he, like Haaland, was also the missing piece in Liverpool’s arsenal of top attacking talent. The ultimate formation of the devastating trio of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino would play a huge part in the masterpiece that Jurgen Klopp was creating which culminated with a famous Premier League win in 2019-20 and a Champions League crown in 2018-19. What Haaland is achieving this season, Salah was in a way the one who paved the way, shattering the 31-goal glass ceiling with a Liverpool squad firmly in transition.
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This in no way takes anything away from the free scoring Norwegian stalwart but puts in perspective how impressive his numbers have been. Even though he plays for a team who are chasing a third successive league title, his presence up front might actually turn out to be the catalyst that finally helps City to win the elusive Champions League title.
