Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Erling Haaland ‘s goalscoring exploits. And believes he can challenge the explosive goalscoring standards of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“He did it at Salzburg and in Germany, it’s an incredible number,” Pep said.

“He can compete with Cristiano and Messi in terms of goals. It’s an incredible number for his age. He’s an incredible threat. Hopefully he can stay here for many years.”

Haaland scored a hat-trick in City’s 4-1 home win over Ipswich Town. His 10th hat-trick for the club since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

It was also his 94th goal in 101 appearances in all competitions and his 67th in 68 Premier League appearances.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Haaland scored City’s 12th minute equaliser from the penalty spot after Savinho was brought down. He helped with the second by closing off a passing option for Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric. Who then had his pocket picked by Savinho. He was composed under pressure from a tight angle to get his second, City’s third, and took his hat-trick goal incredibly well from outside the penalty area. It was Haaland’s 10th hat-trick since joining City in the summer of 2022 and his overall record for the club stands at an astonishing 94 goals in 101 appearances.

WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Guardiola told http://ufabet999.app Sport: “He is so reliable on penalties. Assist for the second, fantastic for the third. Last season he struggled a lot, especially at the beginning. He felt tired and niggles most of the time. This time, with the rest with no Euros, he has arrived with a good vibe. The numbers are unbelievable.”