Vincent Kompany has claimed that Erling Haaland can join Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo and become one of football’s all-time great strikers.
The Norwegian hit his sixth hat-trick of the season and his ninth goal in a week as Manchester City eclipsed Burnley 6-0 to reach an Wembley FA Cup semi-final next month. Julian Alvarez grabbed a double and sub Cole Palmer scored as City ran riot to stun the Championship’s runaway leaders.
The Clarets boss was given a rousing reception on his return to the Etihad and, even though his stars suffered a chastening defeat, he couldn’t help admire Haaland. “I have played against the greats - Messi, Ronaldinho, Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo,” Kompany said.
“And in the end they are part of a special elite because even the very best find it very difficult to stop those guys – and someone like Erling will keep finding a way. His game can and will still improve and that is maybe the difference with the other superstars – he is still willing to improve.
“I think his goalscoring record in general puts him in a certain bracket, a certain category. I don’t need to say more than showing you his record of goals. But I also see the mindset of someone who wants to improve. So if he continues to do that – and he is going to have to - that’s not something you experience a lot.”
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Pep Guardiola added to the praise by saying: “I don’t know the numbers but his guy will have a problem in the future because every game he will be expected to score three or four goals and it won’t happen. But he doesn’t care because he is so positive, so optimistic, he never complains - he has the joy of life.
“He’s so effective, such an incredible threat. The target numbers I don’t know but if we play good, Erling will score. We are in a good moment and the best is yet to come. We’ve scored a lot of goals and are a threat at set-pieces like never before. I think Arsenal is going to drop three points so we have to win all the games.”
Said goal-hero Haaland: “Every goal means a lot to me and to win 6-0 is amazing against a really really good Burnley side. I have not set a goal target. I’m a striker, I love to score goals, but my focus is not on scoring. It is to get good chances, and then there is a good chance of me scoring, we have to go again.”
