“That is complete and utter devastation in footballing terms” - Gary Neville reacts after Erling Haaland equals Cristiano Ronaldo record
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has praised Erling Haaland after he equaled one of Cristiano Ronaldo's records on Sunday (September 22). Making his 105th appearance for Manchester City, the Norwegian scored his 100th goal against Arsenal in a Premier League clash that ended in a 2-2 draw.
In the process, Haaland etched his name in history alongside the Portuguese legend as the fastest player to score 100 goals for a club. Ronaldo also took 105 games to reach the 100-goal mark with Real Madrid in 2011.
Erling Haaland had the opportunity to break the 39-year-old's record during the Champions League game against Inter Milan on September 18. He failed to find the back of the net as City were held to a 0-0 draw at home.
However, the 24-year-old wasn't to be denied against Arsenal when he opened the scoring in the ninth minute. It was his 10th goal from five games in the league this season, which is also his best start to a season in the Premier League.
During his commentary duty with Sky Sports, Neville said:
“That is complete and utter devastation in footballing terms! Brilliant from Savinho but as soon as you see Haaland point to that space, the acceleration from the two best centre-backs in the country is unbelievable. The poke past Raya is dismissive."
Erling Haaland's goalscoring prowess has unsurprisingly seen him getting compared with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Could Erling Haaland surpass Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation and recently surpassed 900 goals in his career. The Portuguese superstar is currently plying his trade in the Middle East with Al Nassr and has shown no signs of slowing down at 39.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland has also been outstanding for Manchester City since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. The Norwegian has established himself as one of the finest strikers in the world and his record speaks for itself.
Comparing the stats of the two superstars certainly makes for an interesting read. Haaland has scored 235 goals and provided 50 assists from 288 games in his club career so far. At his age, Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United and had registered 117 goals from 313 games for Sporting CP and the Red Devils.
Lionel Messi, another goalscorer par excellence, had 184 goals from 274 games for Barcelona at the same age. The Argentine icon is now in the twilight of his career and plays for MLS side Inter Miami.
The Norwegian already looks ahead of the curve at the moment but only time will tell if he can maintain the longevity and consistency of the legendary duo.