GUARDIOLA LIKENS HAALAND TO MESSI

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has stated that Erling Haaland has the same attitude and desire to score goals as Lionel Messi.

Guardiola was Messi's coach at Barcelona for four years.

Messi scored 50 or more goals six times during his time at Barcelona, including 73 in the 2011/2012 season.

Guardiola has claimed that Haaland's mindset and passion remind him of Messi.

He said: "In terms of goals and mentality, yeah.

"But Messi has done it every season in the last 10 to 15 years.

"But Erling, since he started at Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, has got to the same level in terms of goals. It's almost every game that he scores a goal. One or two every game, he has the chance to do it."

This season, Haaland has now scored 34 Premier League goals, tying the record set by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.