Chris Sutton feels he saw one Manchester City player actually do something ‘so clever’ during Sunday’s Premier League win over Nottingham Forest.
City put three more vital points on the board, reducing the gap at the top back down to just one point after Arsenal had beaten Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners got the better of their rivals earlier in the day, and the pressure was on City to respond.
Guardiola’s side were not at their best, but got the job done at the City Ground, with Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland grabbing the goals for the visitors.
Haaland had missed City’s last two games with a knock, but returned to the bench against Forest. He got the call to come on just after the hour mark, and did not take long to make an impact.
He scored City’s second, and Chris Sutton was left very impressed by the finish…
Chris Sutton shares why he really liked Erling Haaland’s goal against Nottingham Forest
City ran out 2-0 winners in the end, but Forest certainly caused some uncomfortable moments for the visitors.
With better finishing from the hosts, City may well have dropped points at the City Ground. Ultimately, the champions being that bit more clinical on the day was the difference.
Haaland made no mistake with his finish, and BBC pundit Chris Sutton was speaking earlier today about why he really liked it.
He said on the It’s All Kicking Off! podcast: “Great little shift. Is that a goal that we don’t normally see Haaland score? He is not really a dribbler or has a trick, but I thought he was so clever the way he took that. Shaped to shoot with his left, dragged it, finish. Devastating.”
Haaland doesn’t often carry the ball into the box and shift the ball away from the defender.
He is not really associated with his dribbling, but he showed good feet to buy space away from Murillo before providing the finish. It was a reminder that the Norwegian sensation is far from being all about tap-ins.
Ashley Williams was also left impressed by Haaland’s goal and cameo, believing he was ‘sharp’ against the Reds.
A great finish from Haaland on his return
It was good to see Haaland making an impact just minutes after coming on against Forest.
There didn’t appear to be many signs of ring rust for the 23-year-old, and he took his goal really well. It wasn’t the kind of goal we see too often from Haaland, but he clearly has that in the locker.
City fans will now hope that Haaland can steer clear of any more niggles for the rest of the season. This term he’s spent a bit more time on the sidelines, although City managed fairly well in his absence.
But he will be needed on top form for these next five Premier League games and the FA Cup final. Having him fit and firing could well mean the difference between zero and two trophies.