On Wednesday night, the camera showed how surprised Guardiola was when Haaland found the net twice in the first half of City’s 5-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are fortunate to have striker Erling Haaland and believes the Norwegian can still improve his all-round performance at the Etihad stadium.
Guardiola reckons there is little room for him to coach Haaland, but also praised the Cityzens hitman’s natural goal instinct, adding that the 22-year-old smells goals all the time.
Haaland joined Man City during the summer and has now registered 19 goals in his first 12 games for the Premier League champions.
Pep: Grateful to have Haaland.
“It’s just the deflection and he was there,” Guardiola said in a press conference. “Why does the ball go to where he is? This is an incredible instinct. What can I teach him about being here or there?
“He has an incredible sense of strikers that the ball is going to finish. If he goes one second before, the ball won't be there but he has this incredible talent. Deflection? Cross? He is there. That is why I was surprised.
“How can I as a manager teach him? It's impossible but it's instinct and it is natural. He did it in Norway, Austria, and Germany, you don't have to say anything. He just moves as he smells it.
“Thank you so much for choosing us and to Khaldoon [Al Mubarak], Ferran [Soriano], Txiki [Begiristain], and all the people involved to bring him here because we are fortunate to have him here.
“Everyone can improve. I think he is ready for that. I think everyone knows what they can do. The only thing to never stop until we die is [the desire] to improve. We have the chance to always improve until we die and he is not an exception."
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