Erling Haaland: Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City striker’s determination after missing a keeper then scoring a winning penalty | Soccer News

Pep Guardiola has hailed good ‘footballer and athlete’ Erling Haaland after he bounced again from lacking a keeper to attain the successful penalty wanted for Manchester Metropolis to defeat Crystal Palace.

Metropolis struggled in direction of a pointless night at Selhurst Park for the very best a part of 80 minutes, which included Haaland making a point-blank effort over the bar with the gaping purpose, however their Norway striker struck house with 12 minutes left play by way of a stress penalty.

It took Haaland’s tally to twenty-eight Premier League targets for the season and moved Metropolis inside two factors of leaders Arsenal, who should reply with victory of their Tremendous Sunday fixture at Fulham.

“Top-of-the-line issues about attending to know him effectively collectively is that he can miss a chance and he will not be depressed, or he will not be unhappy. And he is optimistic – the following one,” mentioned Guardiola. “He is aware of he’ll get the prospect and he will probably be there. That’s an unimaginable attribute as a soccer participant and as an athlete.

“Usually in soccer, basketball or tennis, when you concentrate on the motion that simply occurred or ended, you possibly can’t be a superb athlete. This man has one other, one other.”

Haaland celebrated his penalty emphatically, operating fortunately to the nook earlier than being mobbed by all of his Metropolis team-mates, bar keeper Ederson.

From the surface it seemed like a second of redemption after lacking his first probability – however Guardiola insists Metropolis’s star striker remains to be beneath these expectations.

“After all he feels the stress. It is good,” Guardiola added. “You need to really feel it. In the event you do not feel the stress, you may be on the bar ingesting one thing.

“You need to face it and cope with it. It is the stress of 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. It is a good mentality, to drive you to be the very best.

“He missed a penalty within the first half as a result of the possibilities of him lacking it from the penalty are harder. He likes it. The best way he celebrates targets, his targets present how completely happy he’s right here and the way completely happy we’re with him.

“The persona of a younger boy, taking the ball, placing it there not softly and scoring was good.”

Haaland’s zero-to-hero celebration

Sturridge: Haaland has no concern, you possibly can see it in his eyes

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

“His mentality is his strongest trait. He is so assured in himself that when he misses a chance it impacts him for possibly two or three seconds after which he thinks, ‘Okay, I will take some. one other and put it away”.

“He passes probabilities for foods and drinks, he makes it look really easy in entrance of purpose. He misses probabilities and that is a striker’s life.

“With Man Metropolis and the way a lot possession they’ve, he is aware of that as the sport progresses the possibilities are going to return. He cannot get pissed off in himself and begin doing various things as a result of Pep has a sure manner. “He likes to play. He is aware of the place he needs Haaland to be to occupy these defenders.

“He is the one who retains placing himself ready to attain towards a miss and being scared to go for it. He has no concern, you possibly can see it in his eyes.”