Manchester City have got themselves at the top of the Premier League table leading into the first international break of the season.
With three Premier League games played, City have secured three victories against Chelsea, Ipswich Town and West Ham United.
Across those games, Pep Guardiola has seen his side score nine goals and concede two along the way, putting them above Liverpool at the top of the table on goals scored.
At this stage of the campaign, a pundit and former top-flight player has shared his thoughts on what he’s seen from one particular figure in the City squad.
Darren Bent hails Erling Haaland
After seeing Erling Haaland score seven goals in his first three league games of the season, which hasn’t been done in the top five leagues since 2000, Darren Bent said this on talkSPORT (3/9 4:57 PM) about what he’s seen from the striker recently.
He said: “What he’s doing is not normal.
“When you’re in a good team, I played in some good teams but I never played in a team that’s built like that.
“Everything is for him. Everything they’ve done there at that club is for him.
“I’m not saying he’s the most important player because I think Rodri is the most important. Although without him this season they’ve looked fine.
“But with the supply line they’ve got, the two wide players, the midfield three. Everything is just geared for him.
“A lot was made of him not getting touches in the game and some people used that against him.
“I remember thinking well, what would you rather him do? Drop deep just to get touches for the sake of it or just stay where he can affect the game and score goals?
“That’s where you want him and these first three games, some of the finishes as well, there was one against Ipswich where he heads it around the goalkeeper.
“Most strikers there would just try to blast it. That little lift, he puts it into an area where the defender looks at it and goes, I can’t get there.”
City will be hoping Haaland continues this form
Bent isn’t the only pundit to share their astonishment at what the City striker has been doing in the league this season, as Ian Wright claimed Haaland has looked a lot more efficient and clinical in front of goal than normal.
With 13 shots at goal in total across the three opening league games of the season, the 24-year-old has racked up more shots on target (9) than any other player in the division.
The Norwegian has earned himself an overall performance rating of 8.84/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in the Premier League.
This makes it easy to see why Bent has been so impressed and almost baffled by what Haaland has produced on the pitch this season.
