Erling Haaland broke multiple goalscoring records during his debut Premier League campaign, but can the prolific Norwegian get even better in his second season with Manchester City?
Across all competitions, Haaland netted 52 goals in 53 games last term, contributing nine assists for good measure.
The 22-year-old claimed the Premier League Golden Boot in record-breaking fashion, scoring 36 goals in 35 appearances.
On top of that, he bagged 12 goals in 11 Champions League outings as Man City lifted the trophy.
Haaland also scored four goals in seven domestic cup appearances last season, although he was an unused substitute in three cup matches.
It is also worth noting that Haaland missed three games – two in the Premier League and one in the Champions League – due to injury, while he remained on the bench for City’s final league clash of the campaign.
Having fired Pep Guardiola’s side to a famous treble, Haaland had already etched his name into Man City folklore.
However, there is a sense that he could improve on last season’s achievements in 2023-24.
Haaland averaged 1.03 goals per game in the Premier League last term, notching five braces and four hat-tricks.
In the Champions League, he averaged 1.09 goals per game, bagging two braces and one five-goal haul.
Believe it or not, the Norwegian failed to find the back of the net in five of his 11 UCL appearances last season, including both semi-final showdowns with Real Madrid and the final against Inter Milan.
If Haaland can take Man City to the latter stages of the Champions League and score more knockout goals in 2023-24, he will give himself an excellent chance of beating last season’s tally.
It is also worth pointing out that Haaland failed to score in 12 of his 35 Premier League outings in 2022-23.
Yes, he netted multiple goals in nine matches, but there is certainly room for improvement.
Ultimately, if Haaland remains injury free, scores at the same rate as last season and features in every Premier League game, he will bag at least 38 league goals in 2023-24.
With goals guaranteed in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup – and the FIFA Club World Cup giving Haaland more opportunities to score – the “Striking Viking” could beat his remarkable 2022-23 tally.