Erling Haaland scored on his return to action for Manchester City against Nottingham Forest and convinced pundit Roy Keane that he had improved somewhat in his all-round play
Roy Keane has upgraded his assessment of Erling Haaland’s all-round play from ‘League Two’ to the Championship after the Norwegian star’s cameo versus Nottingham Forest.
The Manchester City superstar returned from injury at the City Ground but only started from the bench. Pep Guardiola turned to his charge with 62 minutes on the clock, and within 10 minutes he had doubled their lead.
Haaland raced into the box from Kevin De Bruyne’s pass and sat down Murillo before slotting the ball past Matz Sels. However, the 23-year-old’s introduction signalled an uplift in City’s performance beyond just his goal.
Following the Premier League champions’ goalless draw with Arsenal in March, Keane had suggested that Haaland did not offer enough to support his side when he cannot find the net. The former Manchester United captain branded the striker’s all-round-abilities as ‘League Two’ standard.
The game against Forest showed the Sky Sports pundit a marked improvement in his contribution, in addition to Haaland’s league-leading 21st goal of the season. Presenter Dave Jones asked what level Keane would suggest the former Borussia Dortmund star played at during his 30 minutes on the field.
Keane replied cheekily: “He was very much like a Championship player, he has improved a lot! In terms of a goalscorer he is absolutely amazing, there’s no doubting his quality in terms of his finishing.
“When he’s coming on he will want to have an impact on the game and when it’s stretched like that he’s got people like De Bruyne, he’s going to find you and then it’s just that bit of sharpness which he has shown.”
Haaland was more concerned about City earning three points than his own successes however. “First of all it’s a win – that’s the most important thing, it doesn’t matter how we do it,” he said.
“It’s good to be back. We know where they are in the table so we knew it was going to be a fight. It’s not the easiest pitch to play in but we can’t complain about these things, it’s about winning a football game and that’s exactly what we did. Three points, get in, shower, onto the next.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
