Manchester City’s five-goal hero Erling Haaland couldn’t resist poking fun at Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards with a cheeky dig after his side smashed RB Leipzig 7-0 in the Champions League. The Norwegian sensation has now hit 39 goals in 36 outings so far this term including 10 goals from just six matches in Europe’s elite club competition.
Haaland was taken off by Pep Guardiola shortly after striking his fifth on Tuesday night but with plenty to play for between now and the end of the season, the £64million summer signing was forced to accept his fate.
It meant Haaland was in a savage mood after tearing Leipzig apart as unfortunately for Carragher and Richards, they were the ones in the firing line.
When asked by CBS Sports’ Jules Breach what it was like to score five goals, Haaland replied: “It’s an amazing feeling, I think you’re the only one that maybe knows [looks to Thierry Henry] how to score a lot of goals.”
The comment immediately sparked hysterics and lots of “oooooohhh” noises amongst Carragher and Richards, who were startled by the comment.
Nonetheless, Haaland continued more seriously: “No to be honest, I think the feeling is amazing. First of all to win 7-0 and to give a statement in this tournament that I love.
“To give a statement to say we can actually score seven goals, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Henry then asked the striker: “Erling, I said at the beginning of the Champions League this year that I think you will score five or six in one game. Were you upset? I saw you talking with Kevin [De Bruyne] and I was thinking ‘okay, he’s going to come for him.'”
Haaland then replied: “I think if I stayed on that field it could have been six or seven tonight. I had the one with the goalkeeper from the pass from Nath[an Ake], I had the rebound with Gundo, I thought he was going to play the ball but he shot at the keeper. I could have scored more. There were also crosses from Kevin that I could have been at.
“If I stayed on the pitch nobody knows what’s going to happen. In my mind, I always have to look for the next and to try and reach more.”
A Norwegian journalist claimed after the match that he’d spoken to Haaland, who told him he would have liked to stay on the field of play.
It was put to Guardiola, who issued a short but snappy response to the question.
“If he achieves this milestone at 22, his life would be boring. Now he has a target to do it in the future,” Guardiola said.
Further goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne inflicted more misery on Leipzig as Marco Rose has been left clinging onto his job.
City now face off with Vincent Kompany’s Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend before the international break.
Meanwhile, Arsenal take on Crystal Palace as they look to extend their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points.
Liverpool are in town for City when club football returns on April 1, meaning it could prove to be a decisive couple of weeks for Guardiola’s men.
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