Manchester City’s rivals clutched desperately at a collection of straws after Erling Haaland’s low-key performance in the Community Shield defeat by Liverpool. They hoped his stunning Bundesliga record with Borussia Dortmund could mask a bully who would need time to adapt to the Premier League and could even disrupt City’s studied cerebral style with his more explosive, physical approach and his brute force. It was the kind of momentary, desperately misguided rush to judgment that saw the Premier League’s other great new attacking arrival, Liverpool’s Darwen Nunez, dismissed as Andy Carroll reincarnated after just minutes of his first friendly. Wrong. Wrong again. That Haaland is as much of a guarantee of goals – lots of them – as Manchester City could get, and everything they hoped for when they secured the services of one of the game’s most sought-after talents, was evident for all to see on this cruise. of the 2-0 opening weekend win at West Ham United. By the time he was replaced by Julian Alvarez 12 minutes from time, Haaland had not only won the game for City with two goals, but had begun to hone his supply line partnership which will surely bring him extra this season. Haaland spent the first half hour getting his sights set on it, making several runs that were not singled out by passes from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, or narrowly missing an attractive cross from Phil Foden. That all changed after 36 minutes when Haaland’s cross was picked out by Gundogan. He was too quick for West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to bring down the injured Lukasz Fabianski. City’s record from the spot is notoriously checkered, but Haaland was having none of it as he picked up the ball and sent Areola the wrong way before adopting his trademark Zen pose to receive the congratulations of his team-mates. The biggest window into what we can expect from City this season came after 65 minutes with a goal that will be seen repeated often as an ominous warning to those hoping to lift the Premier League crown. De Bruyne stepped up before seeing off another Haaland run. The pass was perfect, as was Haaland’s finish, who beats Areola with a low left-footed strike. He was unerring and carried the hallmark of all great strikers – that is, you never expected him to miss the moment he broke free from the West Ham defence. Game over. It will be game over for many teams in the Premier League when City perfect those lines of communication between Haaland and those who will be watching those runs behind the defences. The ease with which City simply brushed aside a West Ham side many had predicted would give them the sternest of opening tests was a very early, very eloquent statement of intent. Not only did City use their old arsenal to pick apart West Ham, they were able to use a devastating new attacking weapon to send a message to the rest of the Premier League. De Bruyne, Gundogan and Foden will find the prospect of feeding Haaland a mouthwatering one. The feeling will be mutual. City have won the Premier League in four of the last five seasons, but there has always been a nagging feeling that they should be taking more of the chances they are creating. It may not have cost them domestically, but it hasn’t helped them chase that elusive Champions League spot, last season’s semi-final against eventual winners Real Madrid a prime example. It’s hard to shake the belief that if they had a finisher of Haaland’s hunger and skill available then, they would have won the tie after the first leg. Now they have Haaland, and those hoping this new big-name arrival, with a more traditional striking approach than Guardiola has had in the past, might somehow shift the momentum against City should think again. West Ham, so surprisingly passive and limited, simply couldn’t cope with Haaland’s power and the opportunities afforded him by City’s brilliant playmakers. Haaland’s all-round display suggests they won’t be the last to go down as the champions made the smoothest start to their title defence.
