Erling Haaland is inevitable. That, at least, is how it felt in Seville, and how it is starting to feel in stadiums all over the place. Pep Guardiola had insisted that it is not just about the Norwegian and that if Manchester City don’t play well they will not win. Here, they did play well – reflected in Ederson’s first save, an easy one, not arriving until the 80th minute – they did win, and he did score. Well, of course. Twice, in fact.
The man who was running at a goal every 44 minutes got two more in 69 en route to a 4-0 win as another Champions League campaign opens with the demand that it ends with the trophy. “I love this routine, and it’s a routine after every game, talking about him and his goals,” Guardiola said. “He’s always there, always. There’s always the feeling that he can score more goals.”
