"It hurts me to say it" - Manchester United legend Patrice Evra heaps praise on Manchester City star
Patrice Evra has kept his Manchester United alliance aside to heap praise on Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland, who has made a strong start to life in England.
Manchester City made a major addition to their attack in the summer, signing Haaland from Borussia Dortmund. They forked out a sum of £51 million to acquire the striker's services.
Haaland has taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water, scoring goals for fun. He has already found the back of the net 11 times in seven league appearances for the Cityzens.
Erling Haaland (11) has scored more Premier League goals in 2022 than:
◉ Mohamed Salah (10 in 22)
◉ Cristiano Ronaldo (10 in 21)
◉ Gabriel Jesus (10 in 19)
He's only played seven games. 🤯
The Norway international has scored five goals more than any other player in the Premier League. Evra has now backed him to retain his place at the top of the goalscoring chart throughout the season.
The Manchester United great conceded that it hurts for him to admit that Haaland will bag the Premier League Golden Boot this campaign. He went on to hail the Manchester City star as a 'goal machine'. Evra told Betfair:
"It hurts me to say it, but Erling Haaland will be the top goalscorer. He is a goal machine. It's like what Guardiola said when he scored a hat trick, it's not like it's something special, because that's what he's done all his career."
Manchester United legend Evra likens Manchester City's Haaland to a cat
Evra went on to explain that the 22-year-old striker is a 'killer in front of goal'. The Manchester United great also heaped praise on his ability to make good runs despite being a tall centre-forward. He said:
"He is a monster. He is using his physique, he's a killer in front of goal, he does the right movements, he's sharp for someone tall and strong."
The Frenchman further likened the Manchester City frontman to a cat, referring to his ability to influence games without being entirely involved. He also asserted that the Cityzens now have a proper number 9 in their ranks in Haaland. He concluded:
"I think it would be really difficult to stop him. When he's going to play against central defenders who aren't bigger or stronger than him, they're going to have serious problems. He's like a cat."
"Sometimes he disappears, but he's always involved in the game and you can see against Crystal Palace, it's not like he was involved that much, apart from three goals."
"He got them back on track and that's why he's a number nine, and this is a real number nine."
It remains to be seen how Haaland will fare when Manchester City host Manchester United in the Premier League on October 2.