“It’s like Messi or Ronaldo” - Pep Guardiola delivers verdict on Manchester City star’s achievement after 2-0 win over Chelsea
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed striker Erling Haaland's goalscoring record as akin to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's. He said so after City's 2-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday (August 18) in their Premier League opener.
Haaland - playing his 100th City game since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 - marked the occasion with his 91st goal. It was his 64th strike in the Premier League in his 67th game.
Messi, 37, and Ronaldo, 39, are two of the best players in the game's history, having scored over 800 goals each for club and country during his illustrious careers spanning two decades.
Guardiola likened Haaland's City exploits with that of Messi and Ronaldo, saying as per BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella, who tweeted:
"Asked Pep Guardiola what kind of achievement it is for Haaland to get 91 goals in 100 games in the Premier League era. He says: 'It's like Messi or Ronaldo.'"
Coming to the game at Stamford Bridge, City opened their account through Haaland in the 18th minute before former Blues man Mateo Kovacic made sure of the three points six minutes from time.
Pep Guardiola's side are seeking an unprecedented fifth straight Premier League title, having won six of the last seven.
How Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared in their previous outings?
Lionel Messi is currently out injured after injuring his ankle in Argentina's 1-0 extra time win over Colombia in the 2024 Copa America final in Miami last month. The 37-year-old registered a goal and an assist in five games.
Although he came off injured midway through the second half of the final, Messi lifted a record 45th title for club and country, breaking a tie with his former Barcelona teammate Dani Alvez.
Since that Copa final, La Pulga has misssed six games across competitions for his club side Inter Miami. That includes four games in the Leagues Cup, where the Herons' title defence ended with a 3-2 loss to Columbus in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in his first two games of the 2024-25 season for his club side Al-Nassr. After scoring in the 2-0 win over Al-Tawoun in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final, where he also provided an assist, the 39-year-old opened the scoring in the final with reigning champions Al-Hilal.
However, the opposition scored four unanswered goals to extend Ronaldo's trophyless run with Al-Nassr.