The best players in the world strive to improve at all times and at Manchester City, their improvement year after year seems to be a constant theme.
Pep Guardiola’s tactical genius is certainly one of the many reasons behind City’s rousing success but the constant improvement of his players also makes it tough for other sides to bridge the gap on them.
Whether that is due to Guardiola demanding his players to improve, their intrinsic motivation to do so, his tactical tweaks forcing them to evolve their game or a culmination of all such factors remains a mystery.
But the mark of Manchester City well and truly being an elite club is that their players progress instead of stagnate.
At several other top clubs, for instance, their seems to be a degree of unpredictability about which of their best players will have seasons to be proud of.
On the other hand, at the Etihad Stadium, there is a sense of predictability about how well their players will play, which could also be down to the high-performance culture at the club.
Agbonlahor shares where Erling Haaland has “improved” this season
Despite scoring 63 goals in his first two Premier League seasons, Erling Haaland seems to be getting better and better; enjoying his finest start to a season — scoring seven goals in three games.
The £51 million man does not seem content with his outstanding goalscoring record.
Recently, Pep Guardiola revealed Haaland practices his first touch and scoring from corners after training; something the Catalan felt his star striker had too many niggles last season to be able to do so while currently, he is injury-free.
Despite having won every single piece of silverware at club level and scoring goals galore, the 24-year seems to be pushing for more.
Gabby Agbonlahor named Haaland in his Premier League Team of the Week after his hat-trick against West Ham United and noted how he feels his shooting has improved this season.
On talkSPORT, the pundit said: “His finishing has improved, I feel. He’s a bit more clinical. And seven goals in three games. If it carried on like this, we could be saying Haaland could be on 80 goals in the Premier League this season. Imagine that!”
Robbie Earle also observed about Haaland in his recent displays that his “build-up play is getting better.”
Erling Haaland could just be full of confidence due to his fitness
Haaland has always been an extraordinary finisher, whether it was at RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund or Manchester City.
As a result, it was a surprise to see the Norwegian international fluff his lines on several instances last season but judging by Pep Guardiola’s recent comments, his compromised fitness could have been a reason for his profligacy in front of goal at times.
Now that Haaland is fully fit, he perhaps feels pain-free and being able to play according to his natural instincts.
Due to this very reason, the two-time Premier League winner has perhaps been typically clinical in front of goal.
The statistics at the end of the season could perhaps tell a more accurate story about whether Haaland is indeed a more lethal finisher nowadays.
But considering how merciless the Manchester City marksman was in front of goal during his debut campaign, his phenomenal finishing no longer comes as a surprise in the Premier League.
