Pundit Jan Åge Fjørtoft has backed Erling Haaland to break the incredible goals record he set last season.
Haaland enjoyed a remarkable 2022/23 season, with his goals helping to fire Manchester City to a historic treble.
The 23-year-old scored 52 goals in all competitions, setting a new record for the most goals scored in a single season in all competitions by a Premier League player.
The previous record was 44, set by Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03 and equalled by Liverpool star Mohamed Salah in 2017/18.
Haaland’s 36 goals in 35 league appearances also broke the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season, set at 34 by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.
Haaland can do it again
Haaland conquered all before him last season, but Norwegian pundit and former player Jan Åge Fjørtoft has backed the striker to be even better in 2023/24.
When asked if Haaland could break his own record this season, Fjørtoft was clear.
“We underestimate that last season he missed just one or two games,” he said on ESPN FC.
“He’ll be fitter [this season], I think he’ll be a better footballer this season, he’ll develop even more.
“I think that 52… 52 goals! Can we believe that he’ll score 52 goals? Yes, I think. I think he’ll do 50 again.”
Not everyone agrees with Fjørtoft though, including former Premier League attacker Dean Saunders.
Up and running
Remarkably, Haaland endured something of a goal drought at the tail-end of last season.
The striker failed to score in any of his last five matches of the season, including the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
He brought that dry spell to an end on Sunday though, scoring twice as City beat Yokohama F.Marinos 5-3 in a friendly in Tokyo.
As Pep Guardiola recently said, Haaland is in a better physical condition now than this time last year.
If managed to score 52 goals off the back of a disrupted pre-season, then who knows how many he’ll score this year.
