Erling Haaland has urged his teammates at Manchester City to concentrate on their own performance rather than worry about Arsenal after a thrilling 5-4 victory over Fulham. The match held at Craven Cottage showcased Haaland’s impressive skills as he scored the opener, marking his 100th Premier League goal.
City’s win was hard-fought. After Haaland started the scoring, Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden extended City’s lead. Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe responded with a goal before halftime, but City struck twice within the first ten minutes of the second half, seemingly securing their dominance in the match. Despite a brace from Samuel Chukwueze and a goal from Alex Iwobi that gave City fans a scare, the team managed to hold on for the win.
This result reduces City’s gap to Arsenal to just two points. A victory for Arsenal against Brentford on Wednesday would widen that gap back to five points. After the match, Haaland emphasized the need for the team to improve, saying, “It’s important, Arsenal came here and won here. Fulham are a great team, but we shouldn’t think too much about Arsenal. We should focus on ourselves; today wasn’t good enough, and we know this.”
Reaching the milestone of 100 goals in the Premier League is significant for Haaland. He expressed pride in his achievement, stating, “It’s huge and I’m really proud. Of course, it’s a massive thing; 100 club is a nice thing to be in, and I’m happy.” He acknowledged that while he is focused on scoring and helping the team, each match presents unique challenges.
Reflecting on recent performances, Haaland noted, “The reality is we lost against Newcastle and Leverkusen, but now we have two in a row and we have to keep going. It’s a tough schedule.” With a busy month ahead, he stressed the importance of recovering between games and maintaining momentum.
Manchester City will next face Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, while Arsenal travels to Aston Villa for an early kickoff this weekend. As the season progresses, both teams are poised for intense competition, with each match carrying significant implications for the title race.
