Erling Haaland will be up against his main rival for the Golden Boot and his number one fan.
Igor Thiago is just three goals behind Haaland in the race for the Premier League top scorer as the strikers square off at the Etihad. Thiago, 24, was arguably the best fairy tale of the entire season. That’s because his development and goals have helped turn Brentford into unlikely challengers for Champions League qualification.
Brentford striker Thiago’s big smile and laugh tell their own story. He feels more comfortable using an interpreter to conduct interviews in Portuguese.
But when the question about Haaland came up, his enthusiasm was so great that he couldn’t help but start speaking English. His admiration for Manchester City’s superstar striker is clear.
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“I really like him, I really like him,” Thiago said with real emphasis. “I like him as a player because he inspired me 100 percent.
“I’ve learned so much from him this season. His movement, his personality, I really like him as a person and as a person. I’ve been watching him a lot! I’ve even seen clips of him in the locker room.”
“He has great quality and is an incredible player for me as a player. He does things on the pitch that I really, really like and I can get a lot from him.”
Haaland has scored 25 goals and Thiago has scored 22, far ahead of the other teams. He can hardly believe that they are both in the running for the Golden Boot. “I dreamed it. I believed it would come true. But now it’s here and it’s unbelievable,” Thiago said.
Thiago spoke to Mirror Football’s John Cross ahead of this weekend’s big game against Manchester City (Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror)
“I’m really happy to be at this stage of my life, playing in the Premier League and playing against players like this.”
It is Thiago’s dream to stand on the same stage. He was born in Brazil, one of four children, and his biggest inspiration was his mother, Maria Diva. “She taught me that when you give love, you get love back,” he said.
He started playing street football at the age of eight and had trials at various clubs, all the way to Cruzeiro’s academy, before leaving his home country for Ludogorets in Bulgaria just four years ago.
How on earth did a kid from Brazil come to Bulgaria? “It’s a long story!” he said with his trademark smile and deep laugh.
Thiago has been sensational for Brentford (Image: PA)
“Once I got there, the experience was incredible. When I got there, and while I was there, I realized how strong my desire was to succeed and improve and be better.
“It was in Bulgaria that people started paying attention to me. That was important for me to build confidence. That allowed me to grow and go to Belgium and get here, which is where I always wanted to go.”
“I always wanted to go to the Premier League. This was my main purpose and my goal, because it helps me prove to myself that God is working with me and in me.”
“I knew in that moment that no matter what was going on, God would find a way to get me where he wanted me to be, here, in the Premier League.”
Haaland tops Premier League scoring list
His faith is everything to him. Like many players of his current generation, he sees it as a guiding light. It has helped him overcome a tough period at Brentford, as he was forced to sit out most of the year with a serious knee injury after first arriving in 2024.
He says fish and chips is his favorite British dish. His impressive scoring record this season earned him his first call-up to the Brazil national team in March. It’s no wonder as he is a very popular and happy person around the club and it has always been his dream to play in the Premier League.
“The quality of the team, players and competition was great and I wanted to be a part of it,” Thiago said.
(Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror)
“I think everything is important: the level of players, the tough competition, the physical aspect of the game. We have so many special, talented players here.”
Thiago also quickly developed a deep affection for Brentford. And the feeling of always having the odds stacked against them (they’ll go to the Etihad) is clearly inspiring the players.
Thiago added: “In this club, in this team, unity, a sense of family, a sense of togetherness is important, and this feeling is an inspiration to all the players, especially because no one believes that Brentford can be this good a team. But togetherness is our biggest strength.”
“This is an inspiration to us, because this is an opportunity to achieve something for a club that loves us all so much.”
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