After Sunday's 1-1 match between Liverpool and Manchester City, Erling Braut Haaland heard about it in several English newspapers following the relatively unknown appearance of the Norwegian.
– He was calm throughout the match with the help of Van Dijk and Quansah. He fired one shot on goal, but was otherwise one of the passengers, Haaland told the newspaper independent.
The Telegraph also reported the City striker's battle in a similar manner.
– If you don't know how great the striker is and how lethal he is in front of goal, you will wonder why all the hysteria after this match. The passenger seemed mostly unenthusiastic at the end.
-You will quickly become out of date
Pål André Heland followed the big showdown as an expert at the Viaplay studio. He believes it was Pep Guardiola's side that underperformed as much as Haaland underperformed.
– In the second half, City did not come out of its box at times. So it's difficult to be a striker,” Helland tells Netavicin.
Heyland believes that referring to Haaland as the “passenger” who was stripped naked by Virgil van Dijk during large parts of the match is too simple an inference.
– In the reverse match, he scored a goal from a Van Dijk error. He also scored in the derby against Manchester United. So it quickly becomes outdated. It will be a little bit of the flavor you want this month. It may not have been a game he was very happy with, but the way the game ended, it's difficult to be a striker, says Helland.
In the Sky Sports studio after the match, former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher discussed the duel between Haaland and Van Dijk. It was believed that the Dutchman was the bigger player in the match.
– I spoke to the players here (Roy Keane, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge in Sky Studio) about playing against Erling Braut Haaland. He is the best striker in the world, and Van Dijk is up there among the defenders. I don't know if people agree with that, but I think Van Dijk is a better centre-back than Haaland as a striker.
– That's how much I rate Virgil van Dijk. “He is absolutely exceptional,” Carragher said on Sunday.
– One year ago Van Dijk was “over the top”
Helland points out that it was not long ago that many believed that the 32-year-old Liverpool keeper was finished at the centre-back position at an all-time high, and that it was easy to finish after individual matches during a long season.
-It's only been one year Van Dijk was “over the top” and finished. Now he may be the best goalkeeper in the world again.
Haaland met Van Dijk on seven occasions. The Norwegian scored three goals in these matches, but never won a match in which they met.
Times journalist Martin Samuel points out this “Haaland barely touched the ball against Van Dijk.”
The former RBK and LSK player believes City had the best side of the game in the first half-hour at Anfield. He did not imagine how the battle would develop in the end.
– That Liverpool went to such lengths to manage the second half, I'm very surprised by that, he says of what happened after the break.
– I think the simple explanation is that Liverpool's midfield overtook City's midfield. You rarely see that.
Sunday's result means that Arsenal leads the standings with a better goal difference than Liverpool. Both teams are one point ahead of City with ten matches remaining in the season.
– There was a winner yesterday and it was Arsenal, concludes Helland.
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