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Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has proclaimed that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland would have found it tough during his era.
The 22-year-old is on the brink of becoming a treble-winner with City in his debut season at the Etihad. The Norweigan has played a vital role in Pep Guardiola's side's success this season, scoring 52 goals in as many appearances across competitions.
Haaland has been a nightmare for defences throughout the campaign. However, Campbell argues that he wouldn't have had as much joy in front of goal if he was playing during his Premier League era. The legendary former Arsenal defender told Sky Sports:
"If Haaland was playing in my time, there's a lot more big guys around, who can move around, who can stand up, don't mind putting their head where it hurts. It would be pretty tough."
Campbell played in a period in which the Premier League boasted some of the toughest defenders in world football. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Jamie Carragher were plying their trades in the English top tier at the time.
Haaland has been destroying the current crop of defenders in the Premier League. He scored 36 goals in 35 league games and broke the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign.
The Manchester City striker has come up against some of the top defenders the English top flight have to offer. However, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Raphael Varane and Virgil van Dijk have struggled to keep the prolific frontman quiet.
Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger picked Kylian Mbappe ahead of Haaland before Norwegian moved to Manchester City
Manchester City striker Haaland and PSG forward Kylian Mbappe looks to be the next two superstars to rival for the Ballon d'Or in the coming years. Both are young and are dominating European football.
While the City frontman enjoyed a record-breaking campaign, Mbappe was similarly impressive at the Parc des Princes. The French attacker bagged 41 goals and provided ten assists in 43 games across competitions.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that Mbappe, 23, was ahead of his Norweigan counterpart last season. The Frenchman told BeIN Sports:
"At the moment, Mbappe is ahead of Erling Haaland. When you see the number of goals he's scored, or what he's won at just 23 years old, it's exceptional."
Wenger's comments came before Haaland headed to City from Borussia Dortmund this past summer. He managed a record of 29 goals in 30 appearances for the BvB last season, but his campaign was blighted by injury issues.
Meanwhile, Mbappe had no such fitness problems and bagged 39 goals in 46 games. The duo look set to replace Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as Europe's top two rivals with the two legendary attackers having left Europe.
