Erling Haaland’s life at Manchester City is “really tough” insists Wolves and Norway striker | OneFootball

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has a “really tough” life, according to one of his Premier League rivals and international teammates.

The Norway international has arguably been the poster of Manchester City’s success since joining the club in 2022, breaking goalscoring records throughout the duration of his time working under Pep Guardiola across competitions.

Winning a history Treble and bringing the UEFA Champions League crown to the Etihad Stadium for the first time in the club’s history during his debut campaign, the immediate expectations on Haaland were for him to continue his goalscoring heroics.

While there was a slight downturn in productivity during his second campaign, due in large part to a foot bone problem during the winter months, Haaland maintained a top standard in front of goal to bring a fourth consecutive Premier League title to Manchester City.

However, the ongoing campaign has been somewhat more problematic, despite having scored 20 goals across competitions as defenders of opposition clubs look to get to grips with the player through man-marking, and Manchester City’s chance creation being lower than usual.

Speaking during a new interview with The Times’ Charlotte Duncker, Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen has insisted upon his belief that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has a “really tough” life given the expectations on him within the game.

“I’m happy to see someone else (being the) poster boy (of Norway) so I don’t need to do it. I think Erling (Haaland) ’s life is really tough,” Strand Larsen exclaimed.

He continued, “Everyone dreams about his life and how it is, but it’s also tough because everywhere you go, you need to score a goal every game, otherwise there’s going to be pressure on you. The guy is just amazing.

“How he handles pressure, how he just keeps on going, (whether) it’s going good or bad, it’s just amazing to see. He’s a really good example.”

Next up for Erling Haaland is the challenge of the FA Cup third round when League Two side Salford City visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and it remains to be seen whether the Norwegian will be granted a rare opportunity to rest ahead of some mammoth fixtures.

With Oscar Bobb still sidelined and Manchester City without a back-up traditional striker in their squad, Pep Guardiola has often tipped the likes of James McAtee and Phil Foden to fill in to the false-nine position when required.

The Manchester City manager may be able to offer some insight into his plans when he addresses the media on Friday afternoon during his pre-match press conference ahead of the return of the FA Cup to the club’s agenda.