Phil Foden says Manchester City have had to play differently with Erling Haaland leading the line and insists that this has taken the pressure off his teammates.
The attacker has an unbelievable 42 goals already this season, eight of which came during last week alone. After firing in five against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, the 22-year-old hit a hat-trick against Burnley in Saturday’s 6-0 FA Cup quarter-final win.
Speaking after that game, Foden sang the praises of Haaland - who will miss Norway’s fixtures this month with a groin issue - and unpacked what it is like playing alongside the striker.
READ MORE: Haaland withdraws from Norway squad
“It's a pleasure [to play with Haaland], I don't know how he does it,” Foden said, as per The Daily Mail. “He always seems to be in the right place, expecting things, little ricochets and things like that.
“The way his brain works, he always seems to be in the right place to finish the ball, and to play with a player like that it's always a massive boost for us because when it's a tight game and it's 0-0 and there's not a lot of chances we've been relying on him to get us a goal and it's a real pleasure to play with him.”
He added: “[Haaland] has helped us in a way of finding a different way to play. In previous years we didn't really have a striker and now he's here we've adapted a little bit and we're even still getting used to him now so it's good for the team and it's only going to help us in the future.
“It makes my job easier being an attacking player and looking at someone that wants to score goals and is always ready and in the box it makes it a lot easier.”
Haaland has 28 goals in the Premier League this season and only needs seven more to claim the record for the most goals in a single season.
In second place in the Golden Boot race is Harry Kane, who has 21 goals, which is still a remarkable feat in itself at this stage of the campaign. Foden plays with both strikers, one for City and the other for England, who play Italy and Ukraine in this week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Foden, who has been selected in Gareth Southgate's latest squad, drew similarities between Haaland and his Three Lions captain. “They're both unbelievable," he said.
“When I see them both in training and they both finish most of their chances I feel lucky sometimes to play with these players and see them up close and when no one sees them in training and the things they do, it's just a pleasure and I enjoy it, every moment.”
READ NEXT:
