Erling Haaland channels pain of friend’s death to deliver epic performance

The emotions were writ large after Erling Haaland’s first goal. The Manchester City striker usually celebrates every goal like it might be his last: a big jump and roar to the crowd, a beaming smile, a man enjoying the moment and eager to soak up the applause. Not this time, though. It has been a distressing week for City’s No 9 and that much was evident in his muted celebration after getting the better of Ethan Pinnock (not for the last time during the afternoon) and firing home with only his second touch of the game to draw the Premier League champions level against Thomas Frank’s bold, brave Brentford. Haaland raised an arm before jogging back to the halfway line, head bowed, keen to just get on with things.

The death on Wednesday of close family friend and his father Alfie’s best man, Ivar Eggja, a man whom the City striker had come to look upon as an uncle and confidant, took a heavy toll. Indeed, the emotions of a painful loss might have overcome many.

Yet Haaland is no ordinary footballer and, on another record-breaking afternoon for the Norwegian colossus, he channelled all that upset to deliver a match-winning performance when his team needed it most. Sure, he may have been denied a third consecutive hat-trick and, with it, his 100th goal for City.

But his brace was enough to down Brentford, who had taken the lead after just 22 seconds and threatened to run riot in the early stages before a few tweaks to the Pep Guardiola machine at the interval ensured a more straightforward second period.

Haaland’s nine goals in four games this season is the best scoring start to a Premier League campaign, outstripping Wayne Rooney’s 13-year-old record, and means he now has 72 Premier League goals in 70 appearances in the competition and 99 in 103 games for the club. The numbers are getting so silly you need a calculator to work them all out.

On Monday, the Premier League will begin their landmark disciplinary case against City over allegations of financial doping. A verdict is expected early in the new year, but you would bank on Haaland having scored a lot more goals by then and City still being the team to beat, even if Brentford again demonstrated here that they can be got at.

Haaland flicks a switch

Frank’s side were the last team to beat City at the Etihad in the Premier League almost two years ago and, after taking the lead so quickly and inviting a rare chaos in the home team’s defence, they initially looked good value to repeat the trick.

But then Haaland grabbed the bull by its horns and, from disorganisation and disarray, City found themselves in front out of very little and Brentford were left wondering how they could possibly be trailing in a game they had dominated for the first half an hour.

This is what the generational talents do. They routinely bend games to their will and, in the process, demoralise opponents who may have done so much right, yet still ultimately find themselves with little to show for all their excellent work.

It was a good job Haaland, for all his emotions this week, was at the top of his game because there were plenty in blue who were not in that first period and Frank’s frustration was that his team failed to make more of their chances after Wissa’s goal. Ederson saved from Bryan Mbeumo and Nathan Collins and Guardiola admitted his side were lucky not to be two or three down before Haaland equalised.

Few sides have posed City as many questions in recent seasons as Brentford and Guardiola was effusive in his praise afterwards, claiming it was only a matter of time before Frank — who was interviewed by Manchester United in the summer — is snapped up by a big club and claiming he could write a “huge list” of what Brentford do right.

“I don’t remember in eight or nine years here a team that plays like Brentford in that first 25 or 30 minutes,” the City manager said. “Every time they had the ball they created chances. Long balls, winning duels, short passes; they break the lines. They were quick in the transitions. Every set-piece, every corner is a headache, every throw-in and free-kick.”

It spoke volumes for the questions Brentford asked that Guardiola was forced to make two substitutions at the interval. Mateo Kovacic, whose reckless challenge from behind on Yoane Wissa at the cusp of half-time brought a premature end to the Brentford forward’s afternoon, and Rico Lewis, who was uncomfortable at left-back, both came off. Rodri, not deemed fit enough to start, and Josko Gvardiol came on and the uplift was marked. Brentford missed Wissa’s energy and clever movement.

But it was very much because of Haaland that City were able to come from behind. For once early on, Brentford found themselves pinned back and Kevin De Bruyne was in a dangerous position in the penalty area to poke the ball towards Haaland.

These are not the areas you want to face Haaland as an opponent. Haaland spun around Pinnock and, as he shot, the Brentford defender stuck out a desperate leg and watched the ball clip off him, over Mark Flekken and in. Cue that muted celebration.

City were having trouble keeping the ball and moving it with any great purpose or fluency. Maybe Ederson recognised as much and in the 32nd minute, spotting Haaland one on one against Pinnock, the City goalkeeper speared a 70-yard pass down the middle. What followed was pure Haaland, a phenomenon at work. Having got himself the wrong side of Pinnock, he effectively stood his ground and allowed the Brentford defender to bounce off him before careering away and dinking the most delicate of finishes over Flekken. Bulldozer one moment, ballerina the next.

The second half was much more like the City we have come to expect: controlled possession, quicksilver moment, a threat from all sides. Savinho came alive after the break, Jack Grealish drew a fine save and Walker, shaking off his rustiness, went close. Brentford did have a decent chance of the death, Yehor Yarmoliuk dragging a shot wide.

The only thing missing for Haaland was his hat-trick. He came close, crashing a shot against a post, but it was not to be. No matter, he was still the match winner, the difference, the best in show.

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Haaland overcomes death of close friend

Haaland recovered from the death of a close family friend to fire City to victory. The striker was rocked by the death on Wednesday of his father Alfie’s best man, Ivar Eggja, a man whom Haaland had come to look upon like an uncle.

But the Norwegian overcame the challenging circumstances to score his two goals and move one away from a century for City after just 103 appearances.

Haaland now has one match to break the record for fewest appearances to 100 goals for one club, or two games to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 100 in 105 appearances for Real Madrid, with City facing Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Guardiola praises forward’s mental strength

Guardiola said: “Of course it has been tough [for him] when close family pass away at that age. It’s difficult for every human being. The other day he came back and was a little bit down but the locker room... we try to take care of everyone here.

“We take care of each other. If someone has problems, we have to be close to them. Yesterday was better — his mood, you know, making jokes to us. The best way sometimes to forget things is to do your job and what he has been doing for many years perfectly.”

“He’s in really really good [form], I’d say the best [he has been], but it’s just four fixtures, not much games,” Guardiola added.

Asked how Haaland could demonstrate such mental strength in such a difficult moment, Guardiola said: “You have to ask him, I didn’t ask him. You have to be strong of course and maybe for 90 minutes forget your personal life — the punch in your face that life gives to you.

“We were in touch. ‘How did you feel?’ But I didn’t ask him ‘Are you ready to play?’ I said ‘Okay, he’s going to play’. If he wasn’t ready he would come to me and say ‘Pep, I’m not ready’.

“He didn’t say that to me and, of course, for us he’s an incredible weapon. One against one when you isolate him against the central defender with the quality that you have with Ederson and Stefan [Ortega] for the long balls and long passes, it’s always a weapon that we have to exploit and use it. The best way [in Haaland’s situation] is for 92, 93 minutes, forget and just play.”

Jack Grealish paid tribute to Haaland’s impact. “The second [goal] showed what he is all about,” the City midfielder said. “He used his body well and [provided] a brilliant finish. It is a pleasure to play with him and hopefully he can continue.”