Haaland goalscoring heroics a ‘shock’, says Guardiola

The 22-year-old netted his thirty fourth objective of the league marketing campaign in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Fulham, drawing him degree with joint Premier League single-season report holders Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.

Haaland’s strike at Craven Cottage was his fiftieth objective of the season — he holds the all-competitions report by a Premier League participant because the high flight was rebranded in 1992.

With a possible 10 video games remaining for treble-chasing Metropolis this time period, Haaland might even go Dixie Dean’s all-time English report of 63 objectives set within the 1927/28 season.

The Everton participant’s mark of 60 top-flight strikes throughout that marketing campaign will certainly stay intact.

It has been an breath-taking first yr in English soccer for Haaland, and even Guardiola did not anticipate such a spree from the previous Borussia Dortmund star.

“It is a surprise for all of us — maybe not for him — to do what he’s doing in this difficult league but the way he behaves and has done it is for the success of the team,” he stated.

“After all it is good for him and the crew if he breaks the data. It is a good signal.

“The magnitude of a record is because for a long time it was not broken. All records will be broken one day.”

‘Incredible self-confidence’

Guardiola believes Haaland’s second season with Metropolis might be even higher than his first.

“I think he has the desire to get better as a player. As long as he has that he can do it,” he stated.

“I do know him a bit and he’s so aggressive and optimistic in his mindset. He has this unimaginable, optimistic self-confidence. It isn’t vanity.

“It’s self-confidence to say I am going to score and to arrive in his first season and score 50 already and equal the record for two legends in Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.”

Comparisons have additionally been made between Haaland and Argentina star Lionel Messi, who scored 73 objectives for Barcelona in 2011-12.

However Guardiola insisted it’s unfair to make parallels with Messi, who performed beneath the Spaniard at Barcelona.

“No-one can evaluate with Messi. It is not going to assist Erling. Messi is essentially the most full participant I’ve seen by way of imaginative and prescient, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in lots of issues which can be troublesome.

“Hopefully Erling can be so close to Leo, that will be great for us and him, but I don’t help anyone to compare them.”

In-form Metropolis put themselves firmly in command of the title race with their 4-1 rout of Arsenal final week.

However, after being pushed arduous by Fulham, Guardiola isn’t taking something without any consideration forward of Metropolis’s residence recreation in opposition to West Ham on Wednesday.

“West Ham maybe didn’t do the season they expected but that doesn’t mean the quality is not there,” he stated.

“The weapons are there, they are a good team. I don’t have doubts about them. In one game anything can happen. We have to be absolutely ready.”