While not as prolific as in his debut season, Erling Haaland has still been prolific by most people’s standards.
The Manchester City forward hasn’t had as much game-time this season due to injuries, but he has made those minutes count once again as he continues to elevate his stock in the conversation about who the best player in the world is.
The Norwegian striker – who won’t be attending the 2024 European Championships due to his country’s inability to qualify – has netted 21 goals thus far in the Premier League this season, posing the question: can anyone truly stop him?
Will Erling Haaland’s goals dry up or will he continue to flourish?
Given that he is still only 23 years old, Haaland has plenty of time to continue doing what he is doing. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in world football because of the skills and quality he has shown in front of goal.
Of course, the 21 goals that he has netted thus far is no short feat. He is the current Golden Boot leader in the Premier League scoring charts, one ahead of former team-mate and current Chelsea attacker, Cole Palmer. He is two ahead of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
With four games of the season to go, Manchester City will be hoping he can continue to be in and amongst the goals as they look to capture their fourth title in a row, something that many expect them to do.
The league has attracted many bettors this year with its exciting title chase, and the current Premier League odds have the Cityzens as the main favorites. Despite being one point behind leaders Arsenal, they have an extra game to play, hence why they are valued at 1.35. The Gunners are priced at 3.25 as Liverpool dropped out of the race following two poor results on the bounce.
Who will Haaland look to conquer on route to the title?
As mentioned, Manchester City have four games left to play in the 2023/24 Premier League season. Haaland has scored against every team he has played against in the top-flight since making the move to Manchester, therefore making it an unenviable task for each defence that he is set to come up against.
They will need to host Wolverhampton Wanderers first, in a game that Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to better the result of the first meeting this season. At Molineux, they were handed a surprise 2-1 defeat, in which Haaland was kept quiet. They will be hopeful the Norwegian doesn’t suffer the same fate and can be more effective in this game.
A trip to the capital will follow as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. Haaland fared much better in this game, as he scored a hat-trick the last time the two teams played in the league. City had five shots on target of the seven they attempted, each going into the net for a 5-1 victory.
Another away day in London will follow shortly after as they take on Tottenham at a stadium they have found difficult in recent years. The home contest earlier in the season finished 3-3 with Haaland failing to score. City have a poor record at Tottenham, losing each of their last five visits and failing to score – something Guardiola has joked about and highlighted in the past. This is a game that could have potential ramifications on the title race and a favor that Arsenal may be asking of their arch-nemesis should it go down to the wire.
The final game of the season will see Haaland and co face West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. He scored in the last meeting as they won 3-1 winners at the London Stadium, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were to find the net once again. Of course, the Hammers may have their own battle on their minds, as they continue to compete for Europe.
Does Haaland have to worry about other players?
As mentioned, this year’s Golden Boot race is hotly contested, with a few players in the running as we approach the final stages of the season.
Palmer, Watkins, and Isak are all likely to score more between now and the end of the season, therefore Haaland’s slim lead may not be enough if he isn’t able to register more goals in the final four games. Palmer is arguably the greatest threat, as Chelsea have more games to play than City, while Villa have played more, and Newcastle are level.
