Pep Guardiola has warned that Erling Haaland’s second season at Manchester City could be even better than his first.
Haaland is on the brink of setting a new single-season Premier League goalscoring record after a sensational first campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
The prolific Norwegian netted his 34th goal of the champions’ 2022-23 league programme – and his 50th overall – in Sunday’s victory at Fulham.
That drew him level with joint competition record-holders Andy Cole and Alan Shearer and, with six games to play starting with Wednesday’s visit of West Ham, the 22-year-old looks certain to set a formidable new benchmark.
Guardiola, however, believes his best could be yet to come.
The City manager said: “Always I’ve said with Erling it will be tough when you look at what he has done – and if he doesn’t score the goals like he’s scoring now people will say, ‘Oh, he’s in a bad situation’ – but his game can improve a lot.
“I wouldn’t say in the box but in the game itself, the movements. I think he has that feeling, ‘Is that enough?’, and I think he has the desire to get better as a player.
“As long as he has that he can do it.”
Guardiola believes Haaland, who joined City last summer after plundering 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, arrived with a determination to break records.
He said: “Yes, I think so. I know him a bit and he is so competitive and positive in his mindset.
“He has this incredible, positive self-confidence. It’s not arrogance.
“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.”
Haaland’s remarkable record has raised the prospect he could even surpass the English record 63 goals for a top-flight player scored by Everton’s Dixie Dean in 1927-28.
Comparisons have also been made with Lionel Messi, who scored 73 for Barcelona in 2011-12, but Guardiola says drawing parallels with one of the all-time greats is unfair.
Messi’s former Barca boss said: “No-one can compare with Messi. It will not help Erling.
“Messi is the most complete player I have seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in many things that are difficult.
“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 with the Argentina player.”
Haaland has established a potent partnership with playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who is hoping to overcome a knock to feature against the Hammers.
De Bruyne said: “He’s matched the record for the Premier League scoring 34 goals.
“I am just trying to help him achieve that and he has been able to do it. I just try to create as many chances as I can and he is ready to pounce in the box. We work really well together and he has been great.”
Van Dijk welcomes Slot arrival as Liverpool captain commits to Reds future
Virgil van Dijk insists his future remains solely with Liverpool as the Reds captain welcomed incoming Dutch compatriot Arne Slot.
Slot will replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, with the Dutchman expected to take charge at Anfield from Saturday after sealing his switch from Feyenoord.
The soon-to-be Liverpool boss leaves the Netherlands after three highly successful seasons with Feyenoord, having led them to the league title in 2023.
Slot will be welcomed by two fellow countrymen on the red side of Merseyside, with Van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch eager to link-up with their new manager.
As Netherlands began their Euro 2024 training camp on Monday, Van Dijk told a news conference: "I still have a year left on my contract.
"I am club captain and I have made it clear I am there for the new coach and enthusiastic over the next season.
"Obviously, there will be a lot of changes but I am confident we will make a big success of it.
"I congratulated [Slot] of course and I'm really pleased for him and his family. We spoke about the team and the future but now my focus is fully on the national team."
Slot's reign ended with six straight league wins and Feyenoord did not lose any of his final 20 Eredivisie matches at the helm, their last defeat coming against PSV on December 3.
The 45-year-old oversaw exactly 150 games in charge of Feyenoord across all competitions, winning 98 of those contests (65.33 per cent).
Slot also won the KNVB Cup glory in April, overseeing a 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen in the final of that competition, and Gravenberch believes that success has earnt his Liverpool move.
"I think he can be good for my career, he's a coach who wants to play good football," added Gravenberch.
UEFA and FIFA warned to halt Super League opposition by Spanish court
FIFA and UEFA have been told to stop their opposition against the European Super League (ESL), with a Spanish court ruling warning of anti-competitive behaviour and abuse of a dominant position.
Madrid's commercial court said on Monday the European and world governing bodies violated competition law by banning and punishing clubs from participating in a proposed new tournament.
FIFA and UEFA were told to reverse any anticompetitive actions committed in the past after A22 Sports Management, the company behind the plan to create the ESL, brought the case to Spanish court.
"It's an important step towards a truly competitive and sustainable club football landscape in Europe," A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said in a statement after the ruling.
"For too long UEFA has been allowed to control and dominate club football at European level."
Reichart added that UEFA's position on the ESL has "stifled innovation for decades", though celebrated "the era of the monopoly [as] definitively over".
The case was also brought against LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), though that pair and UEFA insisted the court ruling did not explicitly support the creation of the Super League.
"The court has not given the green light to, nor has it approved, projects like the Super League," UEFA said in a follow-up statement.
"In fact, the judge has asserted that the Super League project has long been abandoned and that she cannot be expected to rule on any abstract projects.
"In short, the judgment does not give third parties the right to develop competitions without authorisation and does not concern any future project or indeed any modified version of an existing project."
English football's so-called 'big six' – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – were founding members of the original Super League project in April 2021.
Yet those Premier League clubs quickly withdrew amid fan protests and pressure from the football authorities, with Milan, Inter and Atletico Madrid following a similar suit.
UEFA has since changed its rules around new competitions following the collapse of the ESL proposal in April 2021 and the court says those new rules are unaffected by Monday's ruling.
"The court also confirmed that the current version of UEFA's authorisation rules [as adopted in June 2022] is not affected by today's ruling," the European governing body added.
Martial confirms Man Utd exit after nine-year stay at Old Trafford
Anthony Martial confirmed his nine-year stay with Manchester United will come to an end when his contract expires in June.
The France forward announced on Monday that he will not be playing for the Red Devils next season, though the news was expected after an injury-hit spell in Manchester.
Martial scored 90 goals across his United career but had to deal with multiple injury setbacks in recent seasons – last appearing in the home defeat to Bournemouth in December.
The 28-year-old took to Instagram to confirm the decision as Martial joins Raphael Varane in leaving Erik ten Hag's side ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
"It's with great emotion that I write to you today to say goodbye," the former Monaco attacker wrote on social media as he prepares to leave when his contract expires at the end of June.
"After nine incredible years at the club, the time has come for me to turn a new page in my career. Since I arrived in 2015, I have had the immense honour of wearing this shirt and playing in front of you, the best supporters in the world!
"You have been an unwavering support, through the good times and the difficult. Your passion and loyalty have been a constant source of motivation for me.
"I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done for me. Your songs, your encouragement and your love for the club are memories that will remain engraved in my heart forever.
"I would also like to express my gratitude to all my team-mates, technical staff and all the members of the club I have met during my nine years here. I am proud to have been able to share these experiences with you."
Martial signed a new five-year deal in 2019, with an option of an additional year held by United, who were not expected after the forward's injury troubles.
He has not scored more than 10 goals in a season since the 2019-20 campaign, and this season managed just two goals after being limited to only five starts across all competitions.
"Manchester United will always be in my heart," his post continued. "This club has left its mark on my career and offered me an incredible opportunity to play in front of you.
"I'm leaving to take on new challenges, I'll always be a Red Devil and I'll continue to follow the club's results with passion."
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