Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said there is plenty of scope for Erling Haaland to get even better.
The Norway striker has scored 50 goals for City this season, including 34 in the Premier League and 12 in the Champions League.
The English record for goals by a top-flight player in a single season is 63, by Everton’s Dixie Dean in 1927-28.
“Always I’ve said with Erling it will be tough when you look at what he has done,” said Guardiola.
“If he doesn’t score the goals like he’s scoring now people will say ‘Oh, he’s in a bad situation’ – but his game can improve a lot.
“I wouldn’t say in the box but in the game itself, the movements. I think he has that feeling, ‘Is that enough?’, and I think he has the desire to get better as a player.
“As long as he has that he can do it.”
City host West Ham on Wednesday as they look to move back to the Premier League summit after Arsenal went top with a 3-1 win against Chelsea on Tuesday.
Haaland’s next Premier League goal will break a record he currently shares with Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.
Both Cole (for Newcastle in 1993-94) and Shearer (Blackburn, 1994-95) also netted 34 Premier League goals in one campaign – back when it was a 42-game season, rather than the 38 played now.
Haaland still has a potential 10 matches to play this season – six in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup and a maximum of three in the Champions League if City reach the final.
“I know him a bit and he is so competitive and positive in his mindset,” added Guardiola.
“He has this incredible, positive self-confidence. It’s not arrogance.
“It’s the self-confidence to say I am going to score and to arrive in his first season and score 50 already, and equal the record for two legends in Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.”
However, the City boss played down any comparison between Haaland and Lionel Messi, who Guardiola managed during his time at Barcelona.
Argentina forward Messi, who led his country to World Cup victory in 2022, has more than 100 international goals and has passed 800 goals in top-level football.
“No-one can compare with Messi. It will not help Erling,” said Guardiola.
“Messi is the most complete player I have seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in many things that are difficult.
“Hopefully Erling can be so close [to] Leo – that will be great for us and him, but I don’t help anyone to compare them with the Argentina player.”
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