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Former Liverpool forward Peter Crouch has heaped praise on Manchester City star Erling Haaland following his excellent start to the new campaign. The Norwegian attacker scored in a fifth consecutive match in City's 4-0 UEFA Champions League (UCL) win over Sevilla on Tuesday, September 6.
Haaland joined the defending Premier League champions in a £54 million move from Borussia Dortmund and has hit the ground running immediately. He has been involved in a goal in every match so far except the Community Shield encounter against Liverpool.
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The 22-year-old has already scored 12 goals in eight appearances across competitions, including consecutive hat-tricks in the Premier League, this season. Crouch believes he is currently the best striker in the world.
“They have the best striker in the world. I just love watching this man play, he bullies people. Watching him as a striker, I wish I had that kind of pace and strength to be honest.
“He is going to blow records away because [of] his movement, he doesn’t need to touch the ball. His strength, his athleticism and his pace is phenomenal to watch,” Crouch said on BT Sport (via Express).
Haaland scored twice in Manchester City's win over Sevilla to kickstart their 2022/23 UCL campaign on a high. He opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Phil Foden doubled their advantage 13 minutes after the restart.
The Norwegian added his second in the 67th minute and Ruben Dias struck City's fourth with a close-range finish in injury time.
"He reminds me of Usain Bolt" - Joe Cole on Manchester City striker Erling Haaland
On the same show as Crouch, former Chelsea attacker Joe Cole likened Erling Haaland to Usain Bolt. Cole doesn't believe there has ever been a player like the Manchester City talisman, who 'will break all records' if he manages to stay fit.
“I don’t think we have ever seen a player like this. He reminds me of Usain Bolt, a man that big, moving that fast, it doesn’t seem right. He has got so much, he is exciting, and if he stays fit he will break all the records no doubt about it,” Cole said on BT Sport.
Haaland will next have the opportunity to further increase his goal tally when City welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad on Saturday, September 10, in the Premier League.
