Guardiola: Haaland's numbers are like Messi and Ronaldo

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised Norwegian star Erling Haaland after scoring in City's opening Premier League match against Chelsea. Manchester City beat Chelsea 2-0 in the opening round of the 2024-25 Premier League season on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. Guardiola said after the match: "Haaland's numbers are like Messi and Cristiano's, who have dominated everything in the last decade. This level and numbers in this country are unbelievable." He added: "I felt that Haaland felt better than last season at this stage," adding: "He was always tired, but with no European Championship, he rested and feels comfortable." He continued: "The good news is that we won; the bad news is that we have 70 more matches, we will prepare Ipswich and West Ham before the international break and then we will have the team for the season." Manchester City have collected their first three points at the start of their journey towards competing for the Premier League title this season, as coach Pep Guardiola's team is the English Premier League title holder for the last 4 consecutive seasons.