Manchester City striker believes his team needs to adopt the right mental approach if they are to beat Arsenal at the Etihad and win the Premier League title
Erling Haaland says Manchester City were “really strong” in their last Premier League game (Image: Getty Images)
Erling Haaland could have been talking about trophies, he could have been talking about goals, he could have been talking about points. In fact, he was probably talking about all of them.
“We are hungry for more,” he said. The desire to get better and better is one of the few things on the Norwegian striker’s mind as the Premier League season reaches its climax.
That’s because Haaland believes the mental battle will be decisive, not just in the showdown with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, but in the title race as a whole. “I’ve always said you need to take care of your body, but for me it’s really important to take care of my mind and be in a good mental state.
“Now we have a big game coming up. You better stay calm and don’t think too much about it, because that’s the worst thing that can happen.”
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“How to prepare is to train well, prepare well tactically with the team and try to free your mind. Don’t overthink, don’t overthink, think positively and prepare mentally and physically for the game.”
And Haaland believes last Sunday’s win against Chelsea should help City go into the match against the Premier League leaders with confidence. He added: “The last game against Chelsea was a great game for us.
“I started a bit sloppy but I finished really strong. I’ve had good results and I’m hungry for more challenges.
Manager Erling Haaland says Antoine Semenyo will only get better (Image: Getty Images)
“We need to continue and try to play our game as usual. Don’t think too much, play attractive football, enjoy the game and try to win the game.”
Haaland scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup win against Liverpool two weeks ago, but has now failed to score in four Premier League games. And Brentford’s Igor Thiago has scored 21 goals, moving him within one goal of Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
“Right now I’m not thinking about the Golden Boot. Of course I want to win the Golden Boot every year, but I prefer winning trophies and that’s my main focus. I want to help the team in every way, whether I score goals or not, and I want to help the team win games,” Haaland said.
And, of course, the addition of Antoine Semenyo has relieved some of the goalscoring burden from Haaland. Haaland is extremely impressed with his new team-mates.
Erling Haaland says he can make a big contribution to Pep Guardiola’s team even if he is not scoring (Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
“Antoine is a really good guy and a good player,” he said. “Look at how important he has been to us since he came to the club in January, and what he has done for Bournemouth in the Premier League over the last few years. It’s good to have him with us because he’s a great player and he’s only going to get even better.”
Many are saying the game against the Gunners is a title decider, but Haaland insists there is a long way to go in this battle, regardless of the result. He continued, “There are still plenty of games left and finals are now being played every week.
“Last week against Chelsea was a final, now against Arsenal it’s another final. There are a lot of games and this is a really important game.”
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