Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland will only get better after being able to build his fitness during the World Cup break.
Haaland struck his 19th and 20th of the season to help beat Leeds 3-1 in only his 14th Premier League appearance for the club. The Norwegian arrived in the summer from Borussia Dortmund where he missed large portions of last season through injury. Due to Norway’s absence from Qatar 2022, Haaland avoided the mental and physical stress of tournament football.
The victory at Elland Road puts City five points behind leaders Arsenal with Haaland completing 90 minutes as he looks to grow sharper in front of goal. He scored against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last week in the first game after the break that saw him recuperated. “When we started to train in Abu Dhabi he could not train one single day, maybe the last one.”
The rest has done him good. “I kind of recharged my batteries and to watch other people score and win games in the World Cup kind of triggers me and motivates me and also irritates me,” Haaland told Amazon. “I’m more hungry and more ready than ever.”
Haaland’s goals at Leeds got the better of his former RB Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch, who he is still close to. “I am just really happy for him,” Marsch said. “In some ways watching him score is painful, I want him in a different kit.
“But when you know some of these young men, and you see their qualities as people, you want them to do their best, just not against your team. But my gosh, I am happy for him, he is such a great person.”
Source: The Guardian