Erling Haaland reached 300 club goals and did so faster than Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé, on a day when Manchester City maintained its perfect start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Coventry.
The Norwegian forward needed just 384 games to reach 300 goals with Molde, Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City. That figure puts him ahead of Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the speed at which he reached that milestone, although Lionel Messi achieved it in even fewer games.
Messi reached 300 goals in 365 games, while Mbappé needed 398 and Cristiano Ronaldo reached that mark after 499 games.
Haaland was once again the difference-maker for City. His header in the 26th minute at Etihad Stadium proved to be the game-changer against newly promoted Coventry and allowed the team coached by Enzo Maresca to maintain its perfect record.
The 26-year-old Norwegian acknowledged after the match that he could have done more to prevent his team from struggling until the very end.
“I should have scored more goals to seal the game, but I didn’t, so I made things difficult for the team and allowed Coventry to stay in it until the very end,” Haaland told ESPN. “In the Premier League, if you don’t finish your chances, things get complicated.”
The striker scored his third goal in two games, a contribution that is a key part of Manchester City’s new project, as the club has invested more than 450 million pounds (equivalent to $609 million) to revamp its roster following Pep Guardiola’s tenure.
Maresca, who took on the challenging task of succeeding Guardiola, also highlighted the importance of the victory over Coventry and the adjustment process his new squad is going through.
“It’s an important victory, different from the first two. I’m very happy. I’m getting to know the players day by day; we’re getting to know each other. That means we’ll keep getting better and better,” the coach said.
City’s spending continued through the final day of the transfer window with the signings of Enzo Fernández and Iliman Ndiaye. Both started against Coventry, as did Elliot Anderson, another major signing made over the summer.
Haaland believes the new players have what it takes to adapt quickly to the team.
“I think we’ve brought in a lot of players who know what it takes at this level. Enzo Fernández knows what it’s like to win titles and play in the Premier League. He’ll fit right in with the team, just like Elliot. He’s been playing in the Premier League for a long time and has represented England on the national team, so he knows what it’s like to play for a top-tier team,” he said.
The forward also emphasized the importance of making the newcomers feel comfortable, recalling his own adjustment when he arrived at Manchester City.
“We have to try to build something and make them feel as welcome as possible, just as they did for me when I arrived at City. I came in and performed right away, and that’s what you expect from good players.”
With the victory, Manchester City now holds a three-point lead over Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champion, which will face Chelsea on Sunday.
For Ndiaye, his debut couldn’t have started any better either: “We started with a win, so it couldn’t have been better,” he said.
