When Manchester City announced that they had reached an agreement to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, they were 12 days out from being crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time in five years.
After scoring three goals on the final day to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, City finished the campaign with 99 goals in the 'goals for' column. Not even Liverpool eclipsed them.
City did not sign Haaland in order to maintain their domestic dominance - they were more than capable of doing that without him. It's safe to assume that - aside from giving Pep Guardiola a new challenge and 'weapon' to work with - the 22-year-old striker was brought in to help City win an elusive first Champions League crown.
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Everyone knows that Haaland scores goals - 86 in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund suggests he'll have little trouble finding the back of the net in Manchester. But during BT Sport's coverage of the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, Joleon Lescott, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves outlined exactly why they think Haaland will get City over the line in Europe this season.
"There's been occasions where you need a number nine not necessarily for the amount of goals, but the type of goals," said former City defender Lescott.
"He's [Haaland] making runs that midfielders don't have the instinct to make. The capabilities are there in midfield in terms of the passing range and the quality. I think that combined with the runs he makes and the aerial ability he has, I think that sets them different."
Cole shared a similar view, agreeing with Guardiola that City now have a new weapon. "City have a different club in the golf bag now where they can go over the top with such pace and power," he said.
"What do you do against City now? Do you drop off and let them build up and play the patterns? They're going to score. Do you go up and press them? Even when you have an attack and the goalkeeper makes a save, there's a threat because he [Ederson] can go 'bang', sidewinder [up to] Haaland. Similar to what they could do with Sergio Aguero up top, but now they can do it at warp speed with Haaland."
Hargreaves added: "The thing is the margins are so fine in the Champions League. I think with Haaland, when there's a moment there to grab he'll grab it. City are perfectly placed and he makes the difference to this team."
The trio also highlighted the hunger and motivation that Haaland has shown in his early City performances and interviews, with Lescott making a comparison to a Champions League legend.
"We've said it about [Cristiano] Ronaldo in the past, you need someone with that confidence, borderline ego to go 'I want to be that guy', and he gives me the impression that he will step up and say 'I want to be the superhero in this game'," said Lescott.
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