Blog

City manager Guardiola impressed by Haaland’s resilience: “One can fail and he’s not sad”; Champions win 1-0 at Crystal Palace in Premier League; The Norwegian striker has ‘zero fear’, says Daniel Sturridge, a studio guest on Sky Sports SNF

Pep Guardiola has praised brilliant “footballer and athlete” Erling Haaland after he recovered from missing a kangaroo to score the winning penalty required for Manchester City to beat Crystal Palace.

City were hard at work putting up a wasted night at Selhurst Park for the better part of 80 minutes, which included Haaland’s shot from close range over the bar from an open goal, but their Norwegian striker finished off with 12 minutes remaining from pressure. .

That took Haaland’s tally to 28 Premier League goals for the season and moved City within two points of leaders Arsenal, who will have to respond with a win in their Super Sunday game at Fulham.

“One of the best things about getting to know him well together is that he can miss an opportunity and he doesn’t get depressed, or he’s not sad. And it’s positive: the next one,” Guardiola said. “He knows that he will have the opportunity and he will be there. That is an incredible attribute as a soccer player and as an athlete.”

“Normally, in football, basketball or tennis, when you’re thinking about the action just past or finished, you can’t be a good athlete. This guy has another, another.”

Haaland celebrated his penalty in emphatic fashion, running towards the corner in jubilation before being mobbed by all his City teammates except goalkeeper Ederson.

From the outside, it looked like a moment of redemption after losing his earlier opportunity, but Guardiola insists City’s star striker always falls short of those expectations.

“Of course he feels the pressure. It’s nice,” Guardiola added. “You have to feel it. If you don’t feel the pressure, you’ll be at the bar drinking something.”

“You have to face it and manage it. It’s the pressure that if we lose, we lose the Premier League. If we lose 2-0, we lose the Champions League. If we lose to Vinny (Kompany), then we lose the FA Cup. That’s a good mentality , that leads you to be the best.

He missed a penalty in the first half because the chances of him missing that penalty are more difficult. enjoy it. The way he celebrates goals, his goals shows how happy he is here and how happy we are with him.

“The personality of a young guy, taking the ball, putting it there without softness and scoring was excellent.”

Haaland’s evening from zero to hero

Sturridge: Haaland is fearless, you can see it in his eyes

Former Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge on Sky Sports Premier League:

“His mentality is his strongest trait. He’s so confident in himself, when he misses an opportunity, it affects him for two or three seconds, and then he thinks, ‘Okay, I’ll get another one and put it away.'”

“He makes chances look like food and drink, he makes it look so easy in front of goal. He misses chances and that’s the life of a striker.”

“With Manchester City and the amount of possession they have, he knows that in the course of the game opportunities are going to come. He can’t get frustrated within himself and start doing different things because Pep has a way that he likes. He knows where he wants Haaland to be to occupy those defenders.

“He’s the one who continues to get into scoring positions versus missing one and being afraid to go in there. He’s not afraid, you can see it in his eyes.”