Manchester City continue their pursuit of Arsenal in the Premier League, driven by Erling Haaland, who continues to break records. The Norwegian striker scored a brace in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth, taking his tally to 17 official goals in 13 games this season. With the win, the Sky Blues moved to 19 points in the standings and with Arteta's side drawing against Sunderland, they have the opportunity to close the gap

Haaland's numbers allow him to sit at the same table as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Pep Guardiola

After the match, Pep Guardiola once again lavished praise on his goalscorer, directly comparing him to two world football legends: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "It's like playing with Messi or Cristiano, his influence is huge. Have you seen his numbers? The difference is that Messi and Cristiano have been doing it for 15 years, and they are still scoring in the United States and Saudi Arabia," said the Catalan coach, underlining the Norwegian's immediate impact on the team's performance.

Haaland, the natural heir to the giants of modern football

Haaland is going through an exceptional moment, combining power, precision and regularity in each performance. At just 24 years of age, the striker has 160 games, 142 goals and 21 assists with City, maintaining an average of 0.89 goals per 90 minutes, an unprecedented figure since the modern creation of the Premier League in the 1990s. His ability to decide matches has been key to City's recovery after an irregular last campaign.

It would be very hard to play without Haaland

Pep Guardiola

Guardiola acknowledged that the Norwegian is one of the few players today capable of filling the void left by contemporary football icons: "Erling is at that level, yes. He knows he is going to score. He has that hunger. It's incredible to work with him. Sometimes I'm hard on him, and I tell him he must improve, but he's open to that and not all players are. Without him, it would be very tough," the coach confessed.

City aiming high with star striker

The striker comes from scoring against his former club in the Champions League and now has his sights set on his next prey: Liverpool in the Premier League. With Haaland as an attacking reference and a reinforced squad, the team will seek to dominate both in England and in Europe.

Haaland himself highlighted his commitment to the City project and his desire to continue growing under Guardiola's management: "Part of the game is getting out of your comfort zone. That helps you develop as a player and as a person," he said. With a contract in place until 2034, the Norwegian looks destined to write a golden era at the Etihad Stadium.