Saturday saw Erling Haaland, via his hat trick in the come from behind 4-2 win over Crystal Palace, become just the fourth player to score six goals or more in his first four Premier League games after Diego Costa, Sergio Aguero and Mick Quinn.
Indeed, it won’t be long until Haaland becomes the Man City talisman/face of the franchise; like Mo Salah at Liverpool or Harry Kane at Tottenham.
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest FYIs
Kick off: 7:45pm, Wednesday August 31, City of Manchester Stadium
Man City Team News: go here
After Extra Time Podcast: Spotify Apple
PL Position: Man City 2nd, 10 pts Nottingham Forest 14th, 4pts
Form Guide: Man City WDWW Nottingham Forest LDWL
Google Result Probability: Man City 91% Nottingham Forest 3% Draw 6%
“These games are why I’m here, to turn things around when there are difficult times,” Haaland said.
“In the end it was about small adjustments. We were almost there sometimes in the first half so it was about getting it done. This is what we do. It’s a good feeling.”
It’s already time to look ahead to the next one, a home match against Nottingham Forest, and consider what kind of team Pep Guardiola might go with.
He certainly has plenty of options in attack, to work with Haaland and maybe this is a chance to give Alvarez a start in the final third.
In the back though, Pep doesn’t have much to choose from. Especially when you consider the increased workload with UEFA Champions League group stage play starting up soon, supplementing the league’s fixture congestion.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Nottingham Forest
Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Ake; B. Silva, De Bruyne; Foden, Alvarez, Mahrez; Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.