Guardiola praises Haaland after latest landmark for Man City forward
Michael Owen believes Thierry Henry and Ronaldo would score as many goals for Manchester City as Erling Haaland. In a passionate rant, the Liverpool icon insists that Premier League players no longer need to be ‘good footballers’.
Owen, who struck 150 Premier League goals for Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United, claims he would score the same amount as this era’s most prolific stars. The former striker says top-flight players are simply elite athletes, and do not need to be technically outstanding.
“Back in the day there were loads of great players that were absolute ballers, properly talented footballers,” Owen told Up Front With Simon Jordan.
“Now, if you can just run a bit further than everyone else and pass the ball from A to B, then you can have a decent career in the Premier League. You don’t even have to be that good anymore.
“You used to have to have real skill and attributes to be a top player – you had to be a footballer. Now you have to be an athlete. If I was playing in today’s game I would be scoring at the same level as all of the top strikers. I absolutely believe that.
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“You look at some of the players in my generation, Brazilian Ronaldo for example – is Erling Haaland really better than him? Thierry Henry is another.
“I love Haaland but can you really say that if you put Henry or Ronaldo in this Manchester City side, that they wouldn’t score at the same rate? Of course they would.”
City hotshot Haaland scored 61 goals for club and country in 2022-23, having joined the Premier League champions from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He broke the record for most goals in a top-flight campaign, with 36.
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Haaland has started his second year at City by scoring 19 times in 20 appearances. That tally includes 14 strikes in just 13 Premier League games.
The 23-year-old started City’s remarkable Champions League comeback against RB Leipzig on Tuesday evening. Pep Guardiola’s side trailed 2-0 at half-time but staged a heroic recovery in the second-half to continue their unblemished record in Group G.
Haaland scored the first before Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez completed the turnaround. City are also just a point behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
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