Stephen Warnock said going toe-to-toe with Manchester City goalscorer Erling Haaland is “a defender’s worst nightmare.”
On NBC Sports’ The 2 Robbies Podcast, the pundit detailed why the £51.2 million (Sky Sports) man is a truly one-of-a-kind threat.
Stephen Warnock calls Erling Haaland “every defender’s worst nightmare”
Hailed as a “ridiculous talent” by Chris Sutton, the Norwegian striker is having yet another spectacular season, leading the Premier League’s goalscoring charts with 13 goals in 12 games.
As Manchester City drew 4-4 against Chelsea on Sunday, the 23-year-old stepped up on the biggest of stages yet again, scoring a clinical brace at Stamford Bridge.
After the contest, Stephen Warnock explained why it must be such a tough test for any defender to keep Erling Haaland quiet.
“But I just love his hunger to score goals, it’s a defender’s worst nightmare when you see him bearing down on you”, Warnock said on NBC Sports’ The 2 Robbies Podcast.
“That pace, that power he’s got in and around the penalty area, that upper body strength and then, how clinical he is.”
Erling Haaland is improving technically as well
It is easy to side with Stephen Warnock about Erling Haaland, as he is a uniquely prolific goalscorer as well as a one-of-one physical specimen.
But against Chelsea and in recent games this campaign, the former Borussia Dortmund frontman showed that he also seems to be improving technically.
Haaland is known not to be the tidiest in possession, which is perhaps one of the few weaknesses in his arsenal.
However, against Chelsea, the way Erling Haaland received the ball, brought his teammates into play and looked comfortable in deeper areas was an impressive sight.
If the treble-winner continues to up his level from a technical standpoint, the question will be whether there is any flaw in the Manchester City superstar’s game at that point.
