Mo Salah responds to Erling Haaland comparisons claiming Manchester City striker has ‘easy life’ | OneFootball

Erling Haaland’s ‘life is easy’ as a striker for Manchester City, according to Premier League rival and attacking rival, Mo Salah.

The pair have competed for top-level silverware for several seasons since Haaland first arrived in English football back in the summer of 2022, but this campaign there is a rare gulf in quality between the duo’s respective club sides.

Manchester City find themselves ruled out of the Carabao Cup, UEFA Champions League, and Premier League title race, while Salah and his Liverpool teammates have reached the final of the former, have qualified for the last-16 of the Champions League, and lead the top-flight.

There could however be a closer battle between Erling Haaland and Mo Salah directly, with the two players in second and first positions respectively in the current Premier League top-goalscoring charts.

The Egyptian star has notched 24 goals at this stage of the season, while Erling Haaland comes into this weekend’s meeting with Liverpool on 19 goals – one ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, and two beyond Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.

Speaking during a new interview with Sky Germany, Mo Salah was quizzed on the recent comparisons made between himself and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, particularly amid the Egypt international’s remarkable cross-competition scoring form.

“No, I respect him a lot,” Salah said, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness.

“We may have only spoken to each other once after the last game. But he’s a striker, so his life is easier. I wish him all the best, of course. But his life is easy because he plays as a striker.”

The Liverpool forward continued, “Getting that kind of quota as a winger is pretty difficult. Any winger can tell you that. That’s why I see it differently between us, because he’s a striker and I’m a winger.”

Manchester City will be desperate to get back to winning ways after midweek disappointment at the hands of Real Madrid in European competition, knowing that victory will cement their place in the division’s top-four for another gameweek.

Erling Haaland however, remains a doubt for the fixture after sustaining a minor knee problem during the final moments of last weekend’s 4-0 win over Newcastle, forcing him to miss out entirely at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Pep Guardiola told reporters during his pre-match press conference that Haaland’s fitness and availability for the contest would be assessed in and around the club’s final training session before the match on Saturday.