2 min read
Football Insider

Erling Haaland Continues to Dominate: Bournemouth Admit Defeat in Face of Norwegian Striker

Erling Haaland showcased his scoring prowess once again in Manchester City's victory over Bournemouth, leaving the Cherries' manager and captain conceding that stopping him seemed almost impossible.

Erling Haaland Continues to Dominate: Bournemouth Admit Defeat in Face of Norwegian Striker

Erling Haaland gave yet another reminder of his monstrous goalscoring powers as he scored twice in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, and afterwards the Cherries' boss Andoni Iraola and captain David Brooks admitted there was almost nothing they could do to stop him. Haaland drew a rare blank in last week's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa but responded in a typically ruthless fashion.The City striker produced a lung-bursting run from behind the halfway-line after latching on to a Rayan Cherki header to slot the hosts in front and combined with the French playmaker again to restore their lead after Tyler Adams had equalised. Haaland has 13 Premier League goals in 10 matches this season, with 17 in 13 games in all competitions. Including his goals for Norway since the season began, he is on 26 strikes.Bournemouth captain Brooks told Sky Sports: "We look to press but Manchester City are extremely comfortable on the ball. In the first half we created a lot of opportunities for ourselves through the press. But the big man up top for them - Haaland - is always going to be a threat. It's almost impossible [to prepare to face Haaland]. He's 6ft 5in, strong, a massive threat when the ball is falling to him. He took his chances well."It was always going to be a tough game against Manchester City. It's probably the hardest week to prepare for. We knew we had to come here and be the best version of ourselves. A few minor details cost us today."Head coach Iraola added: "In the first half they punished us with Haaland behind our defensive line, probably the coordination between the centre-backs was not spot on. The first goal we were in a good moment before the goal, we were playing in their half but in our attacks we lose the ball, we jump, we don’t cover in behind and he punishes us. You make the smallest mistakes and they punish you. "The timing the speed was top class. You sit deeper and maybe Haaland scores two headers at the second post because maybe they have 25 crosses. You lose one metre against Haaland, you are not recovering. It is going to be three metres at the end of the play."Pep Guardiola put Haaland on the same pedestal as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and said the Norwegian was so dominant that it didn't matter that City's other forwards were not contributing many goals this season. No City player aside from Haaland has scored more than one Premier League goal this season."It's a little like when you play with Messi or Cristiano," Guardiola said. "The influence is so big. Of course we need the goals from Phil [Foden] and Tijjani [Reijnders] and the other ones." Asked whether Haaland was truly on the same level as Messi and Ronaldo, Guardiola had no doubts at all. "Has he reached that level? You see the numbers of that guy? Oh my God, yeah, of course he's at their level. So the numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years. You see Messi still in MLS, he scores two or three goals every day. Cristiano in Saudi is the same. But he [Haaland] is at that level.  "The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, going down on the grass [saying] 'I am going to score this'. I have said many times, he is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes. I always try to be open minded with him and there are players who say, ‘What are you talking about?' He is completely down to earth, he wants to do it and he lives for the goals. Without him, it would be tough to be honest."Next up for Haaland is an emotional reunion with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday. Haaland joined the Bundesliga giants from RB Salzburg in January 2020 and it was at the Signal Iduna Park where he turned into the most lethal centre-forward in Europe, eventually earning his big-money move to City on the back of his insane record of 86 goals in 89 games. And after hosting Dortmund in Europe's top competition, City face champions Liverpool on November 9.

1

Haaland's Monstrous Goalscoring Display

In a standout performance, Erling Haaland netted twice in Manchester City's 3-1 triumph over Bournemouth. The Norwegian star's relentless attacking abilities were on full display as he capitalized on a sublime assist from Rayan Cherki for the first goal and then combined with him again to secure City's lead after Tyler Adams had leveled the score.

2

Bournemouth's Helplessness Against Haaland

Following the match, Bournemouth captain David Brooks admitted the daunting task of facing Haaland, highlighting the striker's physical presence and clinical finishing. Despite creating opportunities through pressing, the Cherries ultimately succumbed to Haaland's prowess, with Brooks acknowledging the difficulty of preparing to face such a prolific attacker.

3

Guardiola's Praise for Haaland

Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola, likened Erling Haaland's impact to that of football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing the striker's dominant influence on the team. Guardiola lauded Haaland's goal-scoring prowess and work ethic, placing him on par with the iconic duo of Messi and Ronaldo.

4

Upcoming Challenges for Haaland

Erling Haaland is set for an emotional reunion with his former club, Borussia Dortmund, in the upcoming Champions League clash. The Norwegian striker, who made a name for himself at Signal Iduna Park before his move to Manchester City, will face a familiar team as he continues his remarkable scoring streak. Additionally, City's next challenge against reigning champions Liverpool poses another test for Haaland and his teammates.

Published on November 2, 2025