Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane has sent Premier League defenders a message of "good luck" following Erling Haaland's eye-catching Manchester City debut against West Ham United on Sunday.
The Norwegian international made the move from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer for a fee in the region of £51m after a stunning two-and-a-half-year spell at the Bundesliga side that saw him fire 86 goals in 89 outings.
And Haaland wasted no time in getting his account up and running for his new club on Sunday afternoon as he scored two goals as Pep Guardiola's men started their league season with a routine 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.
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Haaland won a penalty midway through the first half after a wonderful ball from Ilkay Gundogan split open the Hammers' defence and allowed the striker to take it around substitute goalkeeper Alphonse Areola before dusting himself down to convert the spot-kick.
His and City's second came after surviving some early pressure in the second half as Kevin de Bruyne threaded a delightful through pass to set the Norway international away and double his afternoon's tally with ease.
Haaland's performance, which was awarded the man of the match trophy by Sky Sports, saw Keane rave about the forward's attributes and ultimately suggest how big of a problem he could be for the league's defenders during his time at City.
"[It was] very comfortable for City," said the former Manchester United captain assessing the victory. "Haaland, what we knew people doubted whether he could settle in the Premier League quickly, great quality, great run, he’s going to get chances, we’ve seen it today people talking 20-odd goals, he’s taking penalties it’ll be 30, 40 goals.
"He is going to get chances if he stays fit and healthy with the players around him. Good luck to the defenders coming up against him."
This season had been billed as the battle of the new No.9s Darwin Nunez and Haaland, who joined Liverpool and City respectively this summer. However, following Keane's comments, and Haaland's display, it could in fact be a season decided on how well Virgil van Dijk and the Reds' fellow defenders play against the Norwegian forward.
Liverpool welcome City to Anfield in October before travelling to the Etihad in April.
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