The ways in which Erling Haaland can be described are already running dry.
He may have only played nine games so far this season but already Haaland is living up to even the loftiest of expectations. If he's playing, he's usually scoring. The only team who managed to keep him at bay was (shockingly) Bournemouth. Everyone else has fallen victim to this unrelenting force of nature.
Manchester City might not be top of the table just yet but it feels inevitable that they will take their place before too long and once they do it will take some effort to dislodge them. With Haaland in their ranks, they're basically starting every match a goal up in addition to all the quality they already had.
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Yet, it must be said, Pep Guardiola's side have enjoyed a rather comfortable start to the campaign, on paper at least. Though Newcastle United and Crystal Palace have been bogey teams in the past, out of City's first seven opponents only West Ham finished last season above 10th. Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest were in the Championship.
The Blues' most difficult opposition so far has been Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and if it wasn't for John Stones breaking the Germans' resolve with a 30-yard screamer, it's difficult to say if they ever would have broken down a resolute defence. City haven't faced a team of that quality in the league so far but even still there appears to be a newfound fragility.
On three different occasions, they have had to come from behind to rescue points. That resilience and character is certainly a good trait but Guardiola won't be happy with how often he has seen it so often already. With the Tottenham fixture being postponed, City are yet to play another top six side so Sunday's Manchester derby will pose their toughest test yet.
In recent years the prospect of facing Manchester United has been nothing to worry about, especially last season when City won home and away at an absolute canter, almost taking pity on their neighbours. This time around, things could be different.
Erik ten Hag has done a great job in turning the ship around after it threatened to sink just two games into his tenure. He has abandoned his ideal style of play for a pragmatic approach which focuses on being solid at the back before hitting teams quickly on the counter with their pacey front line and the excellent distribution of Christian Eriksen.
It's been proven time and again that if you can break City's press and get in behind then they are really vulnerable, which is exactly what United will try to do. They have already beaten Liverpool and Arsenal this season, Ten Hag knows how to negotiate these big games. To counter that, City will need Haaland firing on all cylinders.
But it will also be the 22-year-old's most difficult outing since putting on the blue shirt. After Harry Maguire was dropped, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are forming a really tough, tenacious and domineering partnership in the heart of United's defence. New signing Martinez is aggressive, giving no quarter as he hunts for the ball. Varane is the classy and canny operator who helps to clean up behind and marshall the backline.
It's really working for United, who have conceded just twice in the five games in which they've played together. Keeping three clean sheets. Haaland is yet to face a centre-back duo as good since his arrival in the Premier League.
It seems likely Haaland will look to target Martinez given the considerable size difference between the pair and it's easy to envisage the Nordic giants brushing him aside like Boris Johnson playing rugby against children. But to underestimate Martinez just for his size would be foolish. He may not be the biggest centre-back but he remains good in the air thanks to a towering leap and what he lacks in height he makes up for in intelligence and strength. He knows where and how to stand up against opponents to win the ball.
Haaland has actually faced Martinez before, in a Champions League group stage match between Borussia Dortmund and Ajax last season. The City No.9 failed to score in 90 minutes as the Amsterdammers won 4-0.
Haaland versus Martinez looks set to be one of the key battles in the Manchester derby and whoever comes out on top could well decide who wins the match.
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