What's to stop Man City machine Haaland from breaking Shearer's goal record?
On the 13th of June 2022, just mere weeks after Manchester City dramatically clinched the title on the final day of the 2021/22 Premier League season with a memorable comeback against Aston Villa, the Cityzens flexed their financial muscles again, confirming the signing of Norwegian superstar, Erling Haaland. The former Borussia Dortmund man had been linked with a move to the Premier League ever since he shone in the Champions League for RB Salzburg before moving to the Signal Iduna Park in December 2019.
The move to follow his father’s footsteps, who also played for City from 2000 to 2003, caught the eye of every fan, pundit and player. He is a global superstar and has already, within his first game, set the league alight. He scored both goals in a 2-0 win on his Premier League debut against West Ham United, becoming the first player since Manchester City all-time top goalscorer Sergio Aguero in 2011 to score two Premier League goals for the club on their debut.
Haaland’s blistering acceleration and pace make him a real handful for teams up and down the country, and he feels like a world class fit in the league for Pep Guardiola’s side. His eye for goal is like none other, and with Haaland only 22 years of age, we are certainly yet to see the best of him. His mins per goal record in Europe's top five leagues since the start of last season is better than any other player (a goal every 83 minutes), highlighting the threat he provides.
Alan Shearer, the all-time Premier League goal scorer, certainly sweats about watching Haaland opening his account with a brace, even if he does joke about it on social media.
.@ErlingHaaland 258 to go!!!! 🤣🤣
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) August 7, 2022
Harry Kane, who is just 78 goals away from breaking Shearer’s record, is the current highest goalscorer still in the league, and sitting on a total of 183 Premier League goals, which is still a long way for Haaland to catch him.
With Haaland the present favourite to win the Golden Boot this season - and has been since he joined Manchester City - are there any potential hurdles to stop him breaking this record?
One thing that might get in his way is himself and his body. Haaland’s injury record is somewhat concerning, as he missed 10 games for Borussia Dortmund last season, and 16 the previous campaign. Should Manchester City be able to keep their new electric forward fit, he is a menacing threat to an already scary squad, and while it is very early days to life at the Etihad, that is one thing to look out for.
In the long term, Haaland will need the support of his team and manager over the course of his stint, however long that may be. Pep Guardiola, who has masterminded four Premier League titles in five years for the Manchester side, would be the best fit to blend their new striker into the perfect centre-forward for the team, but he has not confirmed a long-term deal, despite talking about his desire to extend. His contract is due to expire at the end of the current season, and Haaland will be keen for stability at the club to boost his chances of winning trophies.
Truth be told, should Haaland keep up his impressive record of scoring a goal every 83 minutes on average, there is every chance - should he remain in the Premier League for the rest of his career - that he can go on to become the all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, and only time will tell to see if he can achieve this impressive record.
