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Erling Haaland Struggles in Another Big Game – Can He Ever Be a GOAT If He Can’t Turn Up in Big Games?
English Premier League side and current reigning champions Manchester City recently lost 1-0 to Arsenal in what was Arsenal’s first win against their northern rivals since July 2020, when the London side beat Manchester City 2-0 in the F.A. Cup.
Their latest fixture was a big game for both clubs, and some have pointed out that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland failed to turn up. Can he ever be the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) if he can’t turn up in big games? Let’s dive straight in to find out more.
Does Haaland struggle in big games?
Some people will argue that Haaland has struggled in big games and their latest evidence to back up this claim is the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. He played the full 90 minutes and had very little to do with the action for most of the game. Some have said that he was nowhere to be seen and even looked lost.
Others will argue that he does NOT struggle in big games. True, there have been a few games where he hasn’t done as well as some might expect, but he has turned up when they have played big games on so many other occasions in the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League.
Even most of today’s most trusted crypto sports betting sites still have Haaland as the odds-on favourite to be the 2023/24 English Premier League’s top goalscorer at the end of the season, and we’re still only eight games into the season! Those odds speak volumes.
Take a quick look at these latest top goalscorer market odds and the implied probability rate:
- Erling Haaland – the current odds-on favourite at 1/5 in fractional odds (1.2 in decimal odds, or -500 in American/moneyline odds), meaning he has a whopping 83.30% I.P.R. (implied probability rate) of scoring more goals than any other Premier League player this season
- Mo Salah – the current second odds-on favourite at 10/1 (11.00, or +1,000), with only a 9.10% I.P.R.
The critics always seem to forget how many big games Haaland does turn up for and only highlight the games where he’s not at his best.
When you have a player as good as Haaland, don’t forget that the focus is more on him, so more opposition defenders take more time to ensure he doesn’t have a good game, making it much harder for Haaland.
However, despite this, when opposition players devote their time to keeping Haaland out of the game, it gives his teammates a better chance of doing something to help win the game, as there is less focus on these players. Quite often, this strategy results in Manchester City winning.
Can Haaland truly be a G.O.A.T.?
It’s hard being the G.O.A.T. or even just trying to achieve this status because every tiny flaw or slightly bad performance is amplified. However, it’s still too early to tell whether or not Haaland can ever achieve G.O.A.T. status. Only time will tell.
Final note
One thing that is for sure is that his impact on the Premier League so far has been amazing, and the records he has already set and trophies he has won so far (the TREBLE) show that he is well on the way to becoming one of the greatest of all time. Nobody can deny that what he has already achieved in such a short space is incredible.