Child’s play for Erling Haaland as Manchester City star strikes again in 1-0 win over Brentford

LONDON – Erling Haaland said the secret of his blistering start to the season is being able to relax with his baby son, after the Manchester City star extended his hot streak in the 1-0 win at Brentford.

He struck with a typically predatory finish in the ninth minute on Oct 5 and City survived a second-half dip to climb into fifth place in the English Premier League.

The Norway striker has netted in nine consecutive appearances for club and country – the longest scoring run of his career.

Haaland already has 12 goals in nine appearances in all competitions this season, plus six in two matches for Norway, with Tottenham Hotspur the only team to stop him scoring in the current campaign.

Said City boss Pep Guardiola: “He has been so important this season for us. We need more goals from the other ones but the chances were there.”

The 25-year-old believes he is in the best shape, both mentally and physically, of his prolific three-year spell at City.

And he puts that down to the birth of his first child in December.

“I have never felt better than I do now. It is about preparation, getting ready for the games. You can be physically ready, but you need to be mentally ready,” he said.

“With a kid, it makes me even better because I disconnect more than ever. I don’t think about football at all.

“When you are young, you think of this and that and maybe worry about things. But when I get home, I relax even more. I think I need to give a shout-out to my son.”

Haaland’s 18th goal for club and country this season leaves Anfield as the only ground he has yet to score at in the Premier League.

Pleased with the way he eluded Brentford’s central defenders to convert Josko Gvardiol’s long pass with a fierce finish, Haaland ranked the goal among his best in the City career.

“This was one of my better goals for me because of the whole thing,” he said.

“It was a tough game and reminded me of Stoke City with Rory Delap 15 years ago.

“They are huge and do throw-ins from the middle, so of course it is not easy, but it is about preparing for what is going to come and analysing well and we did.”

Haaland has scored a remarkable 94 Premier League goals and added 17 assists in just 104 appearances in the competition since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

He thrived against Brentford despite the suffocating attention from their massed defence.

No wonder Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to be determined to launch a bid for Haaland after reportedly making the striker his top transfer target.

Haaland, who signed a 9½-year contract in January, is just focused on helping City chase Premier League leaders Arsenal, who have 16 points and sit three points clear of Guardiola’s team.

“A low block is not easy, five people around us at all times. It is why it is not easy and why it feels even better to win,” he said.

Haaland will now turn his attention to helping Norway qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, as they hope to extend their perfect run in qualifying to six games when they face Israel in Oslo on Oct 11.

But he will be without his partner in crime Martin Odegaard, after the Arsenal playmaker withdrew from the Norway squad on Oct 5 due to a knee ligament injury suffered during the 2-0 win over West Ham United a day earlier. AFP, REUTERS