Pep Guardiola is thrilled about Erling Haaland's opportunity to showcase his talent at the 2026 World Cup following Norway's qualification. Norway secured their spot with a 4-1 victory over Italy, where
Haaland scored twice in quick succession. He concluded the qualifiers with 16 goals, leading all players in the UEFA section.
This season, Haaland has netted 19 goals for Manchester City across various competitions, with 14 of those in the Premier League. His teammates have not matched his scoring prowess, as none have scored more than once in the league so far. Haaland is on the brink of reaching his 100th Premier League goal, and if he achieves this within his next 15 matches, he will surpass Alan Shearer's record for the fastest player to reach that milestone.
Guardiola expressed his admiration for Haaland's achievements, stating, "He has broken all the records and is breaking a lot of personal and individual records in the Premier League and for Norway. Happy for him and his national team. " The Norwegian squad features many players who were not born when Norway last participated in a World Cup. Their qualification campaign was impressive, marked by numerous goals and strong performances.
Manchester City faces Newcastle United on Saturday at St James' Park, where Haaland aims to break Shearer's record against his former club. A victory for City would narrow their gap with league leaders Arsenal to just one point. Arsenal will not play until they meet Tottenham on Sunday.
According to Opta's supercomputer, Arsenal remains favourites to win the title with a 63% chance, while City's chances stand at 22.6%. Guardiola reflected on past experiences battling Liverpool for the title: "The feeling that I have had in the past where we have fought incredibly against Liverpool. it will be difficult to catch up with them. "
The Road Ahead
Guardiola emphasised that despite being November, nothing is decided yet in this league. He noted that what happens later in February or March could change everything. "But now it is the start of the season," he added. With games every few days post-international break, Guardiola believes this marks the beginning of the real season.
Winning against Newcastle would be significant for City as they aim to stay close to Arsenal and maintain their title challenge. Guardiola stressed the importance of being competitive throughout the season and having a chance to fight for honours towards its end.
