He’s the striker that is inevitable. The one that always scores. The one that has the most ridiculous goals-per-game record in international football since… well since records began.
He is of course, Erling Haaland. Manchester City’s No.9, their goalscorer in chief, the greatest predator in the modern game. He may have Braut Haaland on his back on the other side of the Atlantic, but there’s no difference. Goals remain his business. And business is good.
This weekend, he’s the man who will look to destroy England’s World Cup hopes. Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions meet Haaland’s Norway on Saturday night in Miami, with a semi-final spot on the line.
And Haaland is brimming with confidence after his last 16 double downed Brazil – and he got the better of Arsenal rival Gabriel, absolutely destroying him to head home Norway’s first, before sealing victory with a fine second.
The big man has seven goals to his name in his debut World Cup, putting him firmly in contention for the Golden Boot. Four of those goals have been match-winning strikes and he’s taken his scarcely-believable international record to a staggering 62 goals in 54 internationals at senior level.
That includes scoring in each of his past 14 competitive appearances for Norway. He’s bagged 27 goals during that run. Absolutely freaking ridiculous.
England, of course, know all about him. In four seasons at the Etihad he’s banged home 112 goals in 132 Premier League matches. Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly are current team-mates, John Stones has only just stopped being one and Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn are more than familiar with the 6ft 4in behemoth’s ways.
It is stupid how good he is. But is it stupid to think that England can stop him on Saturday night? Should we fear the possibility of Haaland wrecking our hopes of a first World Cup since 1966?
Let us know exactly how much you’re worried about the big man in our Haaland slide-o-meter!
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