Phil Foden believes that Erling Haaland’s Premier League goals record can only be broken by one player in the world, and that player is Erling Haaland himself.
In an extraordinary debut season at Manchester City, Haaland scored a remarkable 36 goals, setting a new single-season goals record and playing a pivotal role in securing his team’s fourth consecutive league championship. So far this season, Haaland has continued his impressive form, finding the net six times in just four league matches.
Phil Foden holds the belief that Erling Haaland’s Premier League goals record, which he set by scoring 36 goals last season, may never be broken, except perhaps by Haaland himself. This remarkable achievement shattered the previous single-season goals record, which had held for nearly three decades. The previous record was jointly held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who both scored 34 goals in the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons, respectively. It’s worth noting that their records were established during an era of 42-match seasons.
Haaland’s extraordinary debut season at Manchester City coincided with the club’s historic treble win, making them only the second English team to achieve this feat, which included their first-ever Champions League triumph. Haaland’s contribution of 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions played a pivotal role in City’s success, proving any doubters wrong regarding his suitability for Pep Guardiola’s system.
Foden, who is just two months older than Haaland, is among those who hold immense admiration for the 23-year-old’s achievements at the club. He believes that no one will come close to matching Haaland’s record in the foreseeable future.
“I love the way he is. I love how he always wants more from himself, he’s not just happy with the way he is, and he’s still so young it’s crazy to say it,” Foden said in an interview with BBC Sport.
“And what he did last year, I don’t think we’ll ever see it again to be honest unless he breaks his own record.“He’s so demanding of himself, and if we can find him in those areas, we know he’s always going to be in the right position. He’s got this instinct for goal, it’s just a pleasure to play with someone who’s this good.”
When asked if City’s squad go into games with the same expectation of winning that the media and supporters have, Foden admitted that Haaland plays a big role in their mindset.
“Without being too arrogant, I think that’s how we have to go into games, knowing that we’re champions,” the England attacker said.
“It’s more of a confidence thing, you want to go into a game believing that you’re going to win.”
Manchester City has enjoyed a perfect start to their Premier League title defense, winning all four of their opening games, putting them two points clear at the top of the table. After the international break, they will face West Ham in London on Saturday, September 16, as they continue their quest to retain their Premier League crown.
Furthermore, their journey to secure back-to-back Champions League titles begins with a match against Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, September 19, with the kickoff scheduled for 20:00 UK time and the match broadcast live on TNT Sports.
