Manchester United legend Patrice Evra is perhaps guilty of playing some mind games with Erling Haaland - the talisman of the Red Devils' rivals Manchester City.
Haaland has enjoyed an absolutely sensational start to the season, wasting precious little time in adjusting to the rigours of the English top flight. The Norwegian has netted 11 league goals in his first seven outings, a haul that includes two hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest respectively.
His overall City tally so far actually sits at 14 goals in 10 games across all competitions, given he has also bagged a further three in the two Champions League contests. Haaland has a ludicrous 26 goals in 21 games when it comes to the Champions League, with that stellar return spanning across his respective spells with Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and now City.
Given their tendency to capitulate in that same competition, many viewed City signing Haaland for £51million as them buying the one player who can end their bad luck among Europe's elite. The last two editions of the competition have seen City reach the final in 2021, only to fall short at the final hurdle against Premier League rivals Chelsea.
2022 produced a stunning capitulation against Real Madrid in the semi-final second-leg, with Guardiola's men two goals to the good on aggregate going into second-half stoppage time only to throw it away.
With that in mind, Evra has claimed the pressure is firmly on Haaland to help win City the Champions League. The former Old Trafford star has insisted that the arrival of the Norwegian means his old local rivals have no more excuses should they fail to win the most coveted competition of all.
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"He [Haaland] is a monster. He is using his physique, he's a killer in front of goal, he does the right movements, he's sharp for someone tall and strong. He's like a cat," Evra explained, as per the Manchester Evening News.
"He got them back on track and that's why he's a number nine, and this is a real number nine. City were winning the league without a striker, but in the Champions League they struggled, now I feel like they have no excuse.
"When they lost that final against Chelsea, Guardiola decided to play without any striker, now this won't happen again."
Factoring in the way he has started this season both domestically and in Europe, do not bet against Haaland eventually proving to be the difference as City pursue their first Champions League crown.
