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Premier League wrap: Haaland hot as United flop

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7th August, 2022
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Erik ten Hag has pleaded for time after Manchester United lost at home to Brighton. But Erling Haaland didn’t need much time at all to show what kind of impact he will have at Manchester City.

The two biggest close season arrivals in Manchester had starkly different starts to the Premier League season on Sunday.

Dutch coach Ten Hag looked grim-faced as he watched United slump to a 2-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford. His side were outplayed in the first half before a second-half rally came up short.

Haaland scored twice in City’s 2-0 win at West Ham, netting from the penalty spot in the first half and adding a clinical finish in the second.

Ten Hag was brought in by United to help close the gap between the rivals, United having finished 35 points behind champions City last season.

If anything, the gap seems to have grown — thanks largely to Haaland.

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The Norway striker was recruited by City to provide a clear focal point to the team’s attack and the towering Norway striker will clearly add another dimension.

United fans, meanwhile, are still waiting to see what kind of impact Ten Hag will have after a dispiriting performance that showed that many of the team’s old weaknesses still remain.

“Definitely a setback, a real disappointment,” Ten Hag said. “I knew from the start it will not be easy. And it’s a process, it takes time. But you don’t have time, we have to win games. We should have done better.”

Pascal Gross scored twice in the first half to put Brighton in control and United looked toothless and short of ideas until Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench early in the second half.

With Ronaldo giving the attack a spark, United pulled one back through an own goal by Alexis Mac Allister after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez failed to punch away a corner.

United’s players were booed off the field but Haaland made an instant impression.

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Harry Maguire

(Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

The 22-year-old showed his speed to accelerate away from two defenders and was brought down by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola before calmly sidefooting his penalty into the left corner.

His second goal was coolly taken from a Kevin de Bruyne pass.

Brentford came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Leicester thanks to substitute Josh Dasilva’s equaliser in the 86th minute.

Leicester had dominated  and took a well-deserved 2-0 lead with goals in each half from Timothy Castagne and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, before Ivan Toney pulled one back in the 62nd minute.

Dasilva slammed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area to level after cutting inside on to his left foot.

Haaland has silenced his doubters: Pep

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland has already silenced the doubters after his debut double sank West Ham United 2-0.

Haaland had faced some criticism for his underwhelming performance in the Community Shield defeat by Liverpool last weekend.

But the £51million ($A89m) striker announced his arrival in the Premier League in style with a goal in each half, a penalty followed by a neat finish, to open his City account.

“One week ago he could not adapt to the Premier League. Now he’s alongside Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo,” smiled City boss Guardiola.

“He’s a guy with incredible talent, a scorer of goals. I’ve known him for a month. I know how he handled criticism this week and he was calm, he trained really well. We will see when he is complimented how he reacts.”

Haaland had already glanced a header wide when he was gifted the chance to get off the mark.

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Alphonse Areola had only been in the West Ham goal for a couple of minutes after coming on as a substitute for the injured Lukasz Fabianski when he brought the Norway international down.

There was only one player who was going to take the penalty, and Haaland expertly sent Areola the wrong way with a low spot-kick which clipped a post on its way in.

“The way he took the ball to take the penalty, I said, ‘oh, I like it’,” added Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola

Is Pep Guardiola the greatest football manager of all time? (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

“I think if someone were to take this ball, he would have punched his teammates in the face. I’m pretty sure of that, and that is a good sign.

“You’ve got to be self-confident, ambitious and have a ruthless mentality. And of course, he scored it.”

Haaland put the game to bed with 25 minutes remaining when he raced on to Kevin De Bruyne’s through-ball and slotted it past Areola.

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The 22-year-old probably fancied another debut hat-trick, having managed that feat twice before, but Guardiola took him off with 15 minutes remaining.

“I was fortunate as a manager to be with Lionel Messi and if he scored two, he wanted three, if he scored three he wanted four and if he got four he wanted five,” Guardiola said.

“The top goal-scorers, the strikers, they are never satisfied. They are always hungry, starving, they always want more and more.

“But at the same time, I have to involve the new players and make sure everyone gets the minutes.”

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