Manchester City striker Erling Haaland said “it is good to be back” after he scored to secure a win against Nottingham Forest. The Norwegian had been sidelined due to a muscle injury, missing City’s recent league match at Brighton and the FA Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea.
However, he made a triumphant return by navigating past a defender and finishing coolly into the left corner nine minutes after being brought on as a substitute at the City Ground on Sunday. His goal helped calm the nerves and ensured a 2-0 victory after a challenging afternoon for the defending Treble winners.
This win brought City within one point of Premier League leaders Arsenal, with a game still in hand.
Despite missing several games this season and sometimes struggling to match the incredible scoring consistency of his 2022-23 record-breaking campaign—where he scored 36 goals in 35 games—Haaland’s return raises the question: Could he be the key to City clinching an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title?
Haaland has faced criticism this season for his ability on the ball away from scoring goals, with former Manchester United captain Roy Keane saying he could appear at times “almost like a League Two player”.
But Haaland’s instinct and potency in front of goal – alongside the quality and quantity of chances coming his way – means he is still the Premier League’s top scorer with 21 goals.
“Haaland is a goalscorer, simple as that,” said former Newcastle, Tottenham and England winger Chris Waddle on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He isn’t known for his link-up play, dribbling or skills – he is a goalscorer and that is what he is good at.
“It was a good finish and he passed it into the bottom corner – with him coming back he will probably be the difference.”
Past seasons have shown that Manchester City knows how to handle the pressure during the critical stages of a title race, and their performance against Forest demonstrated this ability.
Although they were outplayed for large portions of the match, they managed to persevere.
If they capitalize on their game in hand and win their remaining matches, they will likely add another trophy to their collection.
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said on Sky Sports: “Haaland made a difference. His all-round play was excellent.
“There will be times when you’re not at your best, but at the key moments they get the job done and that is exactly what City did.”
“Kevin found him and it was a really good finish,” Guardiola said of Haaland’s goal. “He was not ready for 90 minutes, but it was good for him to be back.”
Haaland told Sky Sports: “It’s an important win, it does not matter how we do it, and it is good to be back.
“We knew it was going to be a fight, and the pitch was not the easiest to play on but we cannot complain. It is about winning and that is exactly what we did.”