{"id":63676,"date":"2023-05-03T22:54:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T22:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/05\/03\/haaland-can-even-get-better-says-man-city-coach-guardiola\/"},"modified":"2023-05-03T22:54:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T22:54:06","slug":"haaland-can-even-get-better-says-man-city-coach-guardiola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/05\/03\/haaland-can-even-get-better-says-man-city-coach-guardiola\/","title":{"rendered":"Haaland can even get better, says Man City coach Guardiola"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Erling
Erling Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund before joining Manchester City for \u00a351.2m in June 2022
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said there is plenty of scope for Erling Haaland to get even better.<\/p>\n

The Norway striker has scored 50 goals for City this season, including 34 in the Premier League and 12 in the Champions League.<\/p>\n

The English record for goals by a top-flight player in a single season is 63, by Everton\u2019s Dixie Dean in 1927-28.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAlways I\u2019ve said with Erling it will be tough when you look at what he has done,\u201d said Guardiola.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he doesn\u2019t score the goals like he\u2019s scoring now people will say \u2018Oh, he\u2019s in a bad situation\u2019 \u2013 but his game can improve a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say in the box but in the game itself, the movements. I think he has that feeling, \u2018Is that enough?\u2019, and I think he has the desire to get better as a player.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as he has that he can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

City host West Ham on Wednesday as they look to move back to the Premier League summit after Arsenal went top with a\u00a03-1 win against Chelsea\u00a0on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Haaland\u2019s next Premier League goal will break a record he currently shares with Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.<\/p>\n

Both Cole (for Newcastle in 1993-94) and Shearer (Blackburn, 1994-95) also netted 34 Premier League goals in one campaign \u2013 back when it was a 42-game season, rather than the 38 played now.<\/p>\n

Haaland still has a potential 10 matches to play this season \u2013 six in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup and a maximum of three in the Champions League if City reach the final.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know him a bit and he is so competitive and positive in his mindset,\u201d added Guardiola.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has this incredible, positive self-confidence. It\u2019s not arrogance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the City boss played down any comparison between Haaland and Lionel Messi, who Guardiola managed during his time at Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Argentina forward Messi, who led his country to World Cup victory in 2022,\u00a0has more than 100 international goals\u00a0and has\u00a0passed 800 goals\u00a0in top-level football.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo-one can compare with Messi. It will not help Erling,\u201d said Guardiola.<\/p>\n

\u201cMessi is the most complete player I have seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in many things that are difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully Erling can be so close [to] Leo \u2013 that will be great for us and him, but I don\u2019t help anyone to compare them with the Argentina player.\u201d<\/p>\n

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