Erling Haaland needed less than four minutes to score his first goal against Liverpool. Just 19 years old at the time, he had started on the bench for RB Salzburg's visit to Anfield in the Champions League in 2019. He was brought on by manager Jesse Marsch when his team were coming back from 3-0 down and quickly made it 3-3.
It was one of the easiest goals Erling Haaland has ever scored, tapping the ball into the empty net after a pass from Takumi Minamino. However, the euphoria faded when Mohamed Salah made it 4-3 for the Reds. Even so, that goal on English soil served to further cement Haaland's reputation at the start of his meteoric rise to become the best center forward in the world.
And yet, that goal was a feast before a famine—by Erling Haaland 's ridiculously high standards —against Liverpool. In eight matches against the Reds, the Norwegian has scored just three times, the fewest goals he has ever netted against a team he has faced at least eight times. By comparison, Haaland has scored eight times against Manchester United, five against Arsenal, and four each against Chelsea and Tottenham. Liverpool, against whom he has scored two goals in six matches for City, is clearly his bogey team. But Sunday's game is the perfect opportunity for the Norwegian goalscoring machine to finally break his Liverpool curse.
Overshadowed by Núñez
In his breakout season, Erling Haaland looked frustrated in Salzburg's home game against Liverpool, being substituted in a 2-0 defeat. His first match against the Merseyside club in a City shirt was in the 2022 Community Shield, where he was surprisingly outshone by Darwin Núñez in a 3-1 loss. The striker barely touched the ball 14 times and missed a clear chance late in the game. Guardiola urged caution, saying: “He didn't score. Another day he will. He has incredible quality and he will get it. He's going to help us a lot.”
The manager was right, and in his next match, Haaland scored twice against West Ham, his first goals on his way to a record 36 goals in a Premier League season. But he hasn't really helped City beat Liverpool, at least not in the league.
Zero wins in the Premier League
The Norwegian failed to score again the next time he faced Liverpool, in a 1-0 defeat at Anfield in October 2022. He did find the net in the Carabao Cup tie two months later, but missed the following game through injury. City barely felt his absence, winning 4-1 en route to the Premier League title.
Erling Haaland scored in a 1-1 home draw against Liverpool in November 2023, but hasn't found the net against them since. This means Haaland is still waiting for his first Premier League victory against Liverpool. Despite Liverpool's recent poor form, they have looked like the team that dominated last season in their last two matches.
That's why Erling Haaland himself warned: “We need to perform as a team and all stick together, attacking and defending as one. We have to be prepared because it won't be an easy match.”
He's never felt better
Erling Haaland couldn't be in better form or mindset as he prepares to settle the score on Sunday. He has scored 18 goals in 14 games for City in the Premier League and Champions League, plus nine goals in three appearances for Norway. That's 27 goals in 17 games, putting him on course to surpass his incredible tally of 57 goals in the 2022-23 season. “It's a good start, and I feel really good,” he said this week. “I feel like this is the best version of myself. I've never felt better than I do now.”
A diligent routine that pays off
Last month, Erling Haaland revealed his diligent daily routine for recovering from matches and training, which includes red light therapy, massages, ice baths, and a strict diet. After scoring against his former team, Borussia Dortmund, he reiterated how important that routine has been to his current insatiable form. He explained that it's about “maintaining energy levels, staying motivated, and doing things that are good for my body and my brain.”
The main goal of his career, within reach
Although Erling Haaland prefers to ignore individual records like Alan Shearer's in the Premier League, there's one challenge he can't get out of his mind: helping Norway qualify for the World Cup. His country could secure its place in its first World Cup since 1998 in the coming days. "My main goal in my career is to take Norway to a World Cup and a European Championship," he stated.
With a historic achievement for his country at stake and his first league win against Liverpool in his sights, it looks like the most important week of Erling Haaland 's career . However, he's trying to stay in his own little corner, free from external pressure. And the "Haaland zone" is a particularly dangerous place for opponents right now.
