Shaun Wright-Phillips Compares Erling Haaland To Messi, Expects Him To Break Records

Manchester City legendary player Shaun Wright-Phillips offered invaluable insights into the City squad, praising individual players like Erling Haaland, as well as sharing his thoughts on the team’s continued dominance in English football.

Manchester City will host Arsenal in their fifth Gameweek clash on Sunday. The match will be played at the Erihad stadium and the match will kick off at 9 AM IST.

Wright-Phillips went on to highlight Haaland’s improvement over the years, particularly in his all-around game, noting his increase in assists and his impressive work ethic. Citing a recent goal against Brentford, Wright-Phillips broke down Haaland’s off-the-ball intelligence, which left Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock off balance, allowing Haaland to finish with composure.

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“Yeah, I think he’s completely different from most strikers, possibly even in the world. He has a knack for not being involved in the game for long periods, but when you give him one touch in the box, it’s almost like he’s had multiple touches leading up to that moment. Once he gets that chance, he works on a clean strike, especially inside the box. For me, it’s a unique skill. What has impressed me most over the years is that his all-around game has improved. He gets more assists than people think and works hard. His goal against Brentford, just gone, summed him up as a young striker. When Ederson plays that ball over, he stops just to let Pinnock hit him, which throws Pinnock off balance. After that, Haaland knows he’s away, and it’s just about keeping composed and finishing the chance,” Wright-Phillips said at the Star Sports Press Room.

Further, the legend spoke about Erling Haaland breaking the Premier League goal-scoring record and being compared to the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“How can you say it’s not possible? Over the years, people doubted if he could replicate his form in the Premier League, but no one could have predicted he’d achieve what he did in his first year. Even in his second year, despite being injured for part of it, he won the Golden Boot.

He had a long summer break and came back hungry. But as great as he is, he also has a special team around him creating chances, so it’s a credit to them. As a midfielder, you’d keep creating those chances because, more often than not, they’re going in,” he said.

“It’s funny that people are only now comparing him to Messi and Ronaldo, but if you look at his goal-scoring record before joining City, it’s always been there. The difference is, now he’s doing it while winning the Premier League and Champions League. He’s always been consistent, whether for his club or country. As long as you keep giving him chances, wherever he is — fingers crossed it’s at City — it’s hard to imagine him not breaking records,” the 42-year-old added.

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(With inputs from ANI)