West Ham United frontman Michail Antonio has claimed that Erling Haaland showcased his “unbelievable” speed when he faced him last season.
Since making a name for himself at RB Salzburg, Haaland has been renowned for his outstanding pace, which is unique for a man of his stature.
Usually, players as tall as the Manchester City striker tend to be one of the slowest players in their teams.
Michail Antonio stunned by how quick Erling Haaland was
However, Erling Haaland’s pace has allowed him to emerge as a lethal weapon for any side he has played for in his career so far, especially in behind opposition defences.
Especially for Borussia Dortmund, the £51 million (Sky Sports) man would sprint in behind backlines to cap off a blister counter-attacking move from his team.
Michail Antonio revealed that Erling Haaland exhibited his incredible pace to tuck away his second goal of the contest when West Ham lost 2-0 to Manchester City in their Premier League opener last season.
“It was quite crazy because the game was quite slow, nothing was really happening and then bang! Ball straight through, [Erling] Haaland with unbelievable pace managed to knock it around the ‘keeper and get it in and from there, you saw the gel, you saw the partnership that they had grown with each other”, he told Sky Sports.
“And the ability of Kevin De Bruyne just to find him any time, it’s just unreal.”
Luckily for Erling Haaland, his game is not pace-reliant
As quick as Erling Haaland is, as Michail Antonio revealed, it helps him that his game is not heavily reliant on pace.
With time, strikers known for their speed tend to slow down and it affects their careers.
Former Liverpool and England marksman Michael Owen, who did so due to a string of injuries saw his game affected as his career progressed.
However, strikers such as Alan Shearer and Harry Kane were able to sustain their deadliness for longer periods than the Ballon d’Or winner as their game was not focused on how quick they were.
While Erling Haaland is far quicker than most strikers, his movement and finishing may have ensured that even if he loses his pace over time, he will remain a handful for any defender to deal with in the future.
But of course, Haaland’s searing pace will always make him the most devastating version of himself.
