Everyone knew what Erling Haaland was going to do. He has done it before. The rangy, bulldozing, never-off-sides signature of Erling Braut Haaland.
Let's be frank. We're probably going to see that exact goal about 20 times in the next 30 weeks. And for the rest of the Premier League, Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over West Ham on opening day offered a shuddering blueprint to how the rest of the season could unfold: slanted run, pin-perfect pass, pristinely calculated acceleration, insatiable goal-guzzler getting his way. Whether any side can actually combat this blueprint is a different matter entirely.
For City fans, the performance provided some level of assurance. Haaland’s momentary clumsiness in the Community Shield could be put to just that: momentary. On Sunday, the striker was all the 6ft 4ins Nordic meat cleaving prowess that his £51million price tag promised, link-up play included.
READ MORE: Bernardo Silva breaks silence on City future amid Barcelona interest
Whether the Haaland deal alone qualifies City's summer business as a rousing success is subject to myriad factors, like whether the striker's arrival offsets Raheem Sterling's move to Chelsea, Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal and — if it happens — losing Bernardo Silva to Barcelona.
One couldn't help but consider the next level carnage Haaland might have engaged in if both Kevin de Bruyne and Silva were indulging the blistering colossus running ahead of them into space. Selling Silva for a cut price to Barcelona would only make that thought hurt more.
Nevertheless, City's new goal-glutton has Alan Shearer counting down his own goal record on Twitter. The addition of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United promises to help cut City’s summer window as another clinic in shrewd business.
And the window isn't over yet. City are still in the market for a natural left-back after Oleksandr Zinchenko's departure to Arsenal, with only Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo comprising City's senior full-back ranks. City missed out on top target Marc Cucurella from Brighton as Chelsea opted to pay over the odds for him.
Not that Guardiola seems worried. “Some surprises we can do,” was his answer when asked about left-back reinforcements, and one would be foolish to think the Spanish manager’s cache of tactical surprises might ever run dry (see: Walker showing Phillips the midfield ropes on opening day instead of Rodri).
How do you rate City’s deals so far? Are you of the same mind as Guardiola, or have City underestimated the impact of their departing talent? Is a Silva sale an impossibility?
Have your say in our transfer window widget above. Swipe right and left to rate whether each player on the move is a good or bad deal. Explain your reasoning in the c omments below.
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