Today's Perfect Number 9
Manchester City's Erling Haaland
The number 9 is a crucial position of any football team. It is the number usually given to a striker. Today, we have many number 9s like Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Lautaro Martinez, etc. But unarguably the best of all is Erling Haaland.
Why do I say that Haaland is the best? Haaland fits in very well into Manchester City's expensive and brilliant squad. Haaland scores goals, but he's criticized for that, and he's called a "tap-in merchant". What we're forgetting is that he's doing exactly what he's supposed to do. The job of a number 9 is to score. It doesn't matter how they do it. Whether it be from outside the box or inside, they have to get their name on the scoresheet.
Haaland is a combination of many aspects. For starters, his physicality is off the charts. He can resist even the best defenders who try to prevent him from running. He has shown us various examples of his strength. Next, his speed. He is quite fast. He can make some quick runs to convert counter-attacks into goals. His runs have been proven lethal multiple times. His aerial ability has to be praised because it is simply fascinating. Haaland is tall, 1.94 metres to be exact. With this height, he can win many aerial duals. His heading is on point. An example of his aerial ability besides heading is that goal against his former club, Dortmund, where he jumps in the air and kicks the ball into the back of the net. He also scored a stunning bicycle kick against Southampton. His shooting is deadly. He can make super strong shots that could send a person to the hospital. This shot power has helped him secure various bangers. His positioning is the best thing about him if you ask me. He reminds me of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Zlatan is known for his immense acrobatic abilities and positioning. Like Zlatan, Haaland pops out of nowhere into the box and can score goals. His bizarre positioning makes him unique and gives him the cutting edge to score goals.
Haaland is blessed with City's chemistry. He is assisted brilliantly by Star-Man Kevin De Bruyne. On February 28, 2024, against Luton Town, Haaland scored an astonishing 5 goals. And surprisingly, 4 of his goals were assisted by none other than KDB. KDB just needs 2 more assists to overtake Messi's 203 to have the most assists in the top 5 leagues + all competitions. He will be able to achieve this in no time if he keeps serving such delicious assists.
Among Haaland's many awards, a few noticeable ones are his Golden Boy title in 2020 and his 2023 Gerd Müller Trophy. He is well set to win the Ballon d'Or in the coming years, with his rival, Kylian Mbappe.
Unarguably, the best striker that money can buy you today. Manchester City is lucky to have such a fine and young number 9.