Striker Erling Haaland admits that the Premier League title race is tougher than he imagined, despite winning both titles since joining Man City.
After the 3-1 victory over West Ham in round 38 of the Premier League on May 19th, Haaland said, “The Premier League is tougher than I thought. Every game feels like a final. Whether playing away or at home, you have to stay focused for 90 minutes. You can’t relax after 45 minutes. Every game is very tense and challenging.
Haaland joined Man City in the summer of 2022 and won both Premier League titles in his first two seasons in the English top flight. The Norwegian striker also won the Golden Boot award for two consecutive seasons, setting a record with 36 goals last season and 27 goals this season.
Haaland expressed confidence that Man City would defend their title after a 2-0 win against Tottenham on May 14th. “Man City return home with an advantage, and I am very confident,” the 23-year-old striker said. “We have played better since winning the FIFA Club World Cup, and this journey is truly beautiful, I am enjoying it.”
In the final round of the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium yesterday, Man City beat West Ham 3-1 thanks to a brace from Phil Foden and a long-range strike from Rodri. This result helped Man City make history as the first team to win the English league title four times in a row, surpassing the three consecutive titles of Huddersfield Town (1924-1926), Arsenal (1933-1935), Liverpool (1982-1984), and Manchester United (1999-2001, 2007-2009).
Foden, named the best player in the Premier League this season, said proudly: “We are making history, no club has ever won four consecutive titles, and you can see what it means to the fans and the whole team. I never get tired of winning the Premier League. There’s no better feeling than winning, and I just want to keep winning as much as possible.”
Meanwhile, Rodri sees the fighting spirit as the difference between Man City and the rest of the Premier League. According to the Spanish midfielder, Man City has the best players of the generation in Europe but can only win if they put in daily efforts. “The hardest thing in football is to keep winning,” he said. “We deserve all the efforts until the last minute, and that has changed the club’s history.”
Kevin de Bruyne considers this Premier League season as one of the most special trophies he has won with Man City. The Belgian midfielder missed the first half of the season due to injury but still managed to score four goals and provide ten assists in 18 matches.
De Bruyne has been with Man City since 2015 and has won 16 titles, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, two FA Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. The Spanish coach will win his 17th title with the team if they defeat Man Utd in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 25th.
“Pep Guardiola sets the standards, but we enjoy playing together,” De Bruyne said about Man City’s recipe for success. “This is not a team with big egos, but a team that likes to play, enjoy each other. Like today, we ran a lot because we wanted to perform well.”
