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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Joe Bray

Erling Haaland could have scored 18 more goals for Man City already thanks to unseen trait

You would find few at Manchester City complaining at Erling Haaland's 20 goals in 13 appearances since signing for the club in the summer - yet an analysis of the rest of the Blues' goals this season suggests he could have nearly doubled that tally already.

Of his 20 City goals, five can be characterised as pure poacher's goals, where Haaland has reacted quickest to a save, spill, or lucky deflection for an easy finish. As many as 18 other big chances or goals show the striker in identical positions, just waiting for a simple finish.

His second goal at Sevilla - pouncing seven yards out after Phil Foden's shot was saved - and his second against FC Copenhagen where he converted when Sergio Gomez's effort was pushed into his path, are perfect examples of a striker anticipating a chance before the defenders.

READ MORE: Copenhagen vow to devise plan to stop 'killer' Erling Haaland in Man City rematch

His second and third goals against Nottingham Forest saw him continue a run into the box and stay alive around the six-yard line to anticipate the ball coming to him in slightly fortunate circumstances. Similarly, his goal at Newcastle was an example of being more alert to an unlikely ball falling his way than the defenders who were meant to be marking him, thanks to a forward run towards the goal line.

So how many more goals could have come his way if a teammate had seen their shot saved, blocked or spilt?

Starting in the Community Shield, where Haaland was prematurely deemed a failure by not scoring, his infamous miss at the end of the game was an example of the chances mentioned above, as he was quickest to react to Foden's shot being saved and he blazed over. The more level-headed pundits noted that his movement would bode well going forward, and they have been proven right.

Earlier in the game, had Julian Alvarez's goal been blocked on the line, Haaland was three yards out waiting to pounce, and two games later against Bournemouth he was closest to the goal with no defender in range when both Foden and Kevin De Bruyne scored their goals. Had either been saved or rebounded into his path, he was in a great position to score.

That was the only game where Haaland has failed to score, barring the Community Shield, and he was also unmarked under the goalposts earlier on in the contest when Foden came under criticism for shooting instead of squaring it. Fast forward to the trip to Newcastle, and Haaland was unmarked behind the defence when Ilkay Gundogan beat the offside trap and his goal crossed the line.

When Bernardo Silva scored in the next game against Crystal Palace, Haaland was again making that darting run to be alive for any rebound - although he may have been ruled offside for that one.

The Palace game was the first of back-to-back hat-tricks, and he was again in the mix after his first-half treble against Nottingham Forest. He was unmarked on the penalty spot as Joao Cancelo's shot flew into the top corner in the second half, and was waiting three yards out when Alvarez finished smartly across the goalkeeper.

Kyle Walker was guilty of taking a shot against Aston Villa and firing wide, but again Haaland was perfectly placed four yards out had Walker passed, or seen a shot fall the way of his No.9.

In the following two Champions League games, where Haaland scored three goals himself, he was peeling off his defender nine yards out when Foden found the bottom corner vs Sevilla and would have been first to the ball seven yards out if John Stones' thunderbolt against Borussia Dortmund had hit the woodwork and fallen his way.

In the Wolves and Manchester United games, Haaland turned his hand to simply scoring City's goals or playing an active role in the build-up, although his gambling in front of goal returned against Copenhagen with his goal from Gomez's shot, and he was ready and waiting for an identical goal when another of Gomez's shots was deflected in as he was moving to position himself for a rebound.

And while he had to wait until the second half for a goal against Southampton, he was unmarked five yards out as Cancelo, Foden and Riyad Mahrez all scored from tight angles.

Obviously, not all of those chances would have fallen Haaland's way if they hadn't found the target themselves. However, the fact that Haaland is regularly the first City player on the spot to collect a ball as a teammate celebrates proves he is waiting for those easy chances in front of goal.

And the fact that defenders are still unable to stop him from finding himself unmarked in those dangerous positions shows he's not going to slow down his scoring rate any time soon.

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