Erling Haaland is regularly portrayed as a deadly Scandinavian footballing machine whose sole objective is to compute the simplest option to rating objectives.
It’s a tempting option to describe a 6ft 4in (194cm) Norwegian whose goalscoring data are on one other stage — it’s now 97 objectives in 102 appearances for Manchester Metropolis if you happen to had been questioning.
Most of Haaland’s objectives for Metropolis are one-touch finishes contained in the penalty space — a results of being in the suitable place on the proper time. His beautiful off-ball motion means that he’s often within the appropriate place, and that’s complemented by fixed scanning of his environment.
They’re the kind of objectives that current Haaland as an inevitable cyborg — however that’s not completely honest. Wanting previous his medical strikes opens up a wealthy seam of approach and artistry in Haaland’s ending.
In his first season with Metropolis, Haaland scored solely as soon as from exterior the penalty space, away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2022. That’s not the importance of the objective although, as a result of what he does is extra essential than the place he does it.
Right here, Haaland receives the ball together with his left foot and it’s Maximilian Kilman up in opposition to him…
Kilman is anticipating Haaland to shift the ball onto his stronger left foot, which is evident from the centre-back’s physique form. Nonetheless, the Metropolis striker dummies a transfer in the direction of his left foot…
… after which pushes the ball in the direction of his proper, which forces Kilman to alter his physique orientation by rotating clockwise…
… and dropping sight of the ball for a second.
That fraction of a second is sufficient for Haaland to strike the ball into the underside nook.
Apparently, he shoots in the direction of the aspect from which Kilman has simply rotated away. That makes the shot more durable to dam as a result of the defender’s torque is transferring him within the different path.
One other function of Haaland’s recreation that’s typically neglected is his means to make use of each toes to create the very best taking pictures angle and end possibilities shortly.
On this instance, in opposition to Nottingham Forest final April, Kevin De Bruyne finds Haaland close to the penalty space, and Murillo positions himself in a approach that forces Haaland to go onto his weaker proper foot. The Metropolis striker makes use of his left foot to dribble into area…
… however then shortly shoots together with his proper earlier than Forest’s goalkeeper can shut down the angle. On this occasion, Haaland’s means to make use of his left and proper foot in conjunction permits him a less-than-a-second benefit in comparison with dribbling together with his left after which taking pictures with the identical foot.
In a way more current instance, in opposition to West Ham United final Saturday, Haaland is ready to obtain Rico Lewis’ go contained in the penalty space with Emerson Palmieri the closest defender to the Metropolis striker. Lewis performs the go to Haaland…
… and Emerson strikes in the direction of him, however the Norwegian controls the ball together with his proper foot in opposition to the path of the left-back’s motion…
… and curls it into the highest of the online. Once more, by receiving together with his proper and instantly taking pictures together with his left Haaland saves a fraction of a second in comparison with solely utilizing his left foot.
One other key level right here is that his first contact strikes the ball in opposition to the path of Emerson’s motion, which makes it more durable to dam the shot as a result of the left-back’s physique weight is residing on his left foot and he’s attempting to dam with an unbalanced proper.
Haaland takes a danger by controlling the ball again in the direction of the centre, the place there may be much less area, moderately than letting the ball roll throughout him, as a result of the primary choice supplies a greater taking pictures angle. And it really works as a result of he takes Emerson out by organising the shot in the other way of the left-back’s motion, along with the pace of the execution on account of utilizing each toes.
Whether or not Haaland controls the ball together with his left or proper foot is dependent upon the state of affairs and the place he needs to shoot from. On this instance, in opposition to Leicester Metropolis in April 2023, De Bruyne performs the ball into the trail of Haaland on an attacking transition.
In opposition to an unorganised defence, Haaland pushes the ball into area together with his first contact by utilizing his left foot to maintain it away from Leicester’s central centre-back, Harry Souttar, and the goalkeeper…
… earlier than dinking it over the latter to attain one more objective. The distinction is minimal, but when Haaland makes use of his proper foot to push the ball ahead, there’s a greater chance of it being nearer to Souttar and the goalkeeper when he’s taking the shot.
In one other instance, from the 1-1 draw in opposition to Liverpool in November, Haaland is positioned between Virgil van Dijk (No 4) and Joel Matip (No 32) when Nathan Ake performs the ball to him.
First, Haaland is positioned exterior the goalposts when he receives the ball, which signifies that pushing it away from Van Dijk and Alisson together with his left foot is a non-starter as a result of the taking pictures angle is already slim.
As a substitute, Haaland controls the ball together with his proper moderately than his left to distance it from Matip and permit him to shortly use his left on the next motion…
… through which he units up the shot…
… and places the ball into the far backside nook.
The ultimate instance is from Metropolis’s 2-0 victory in opposition to Chelsea final month. Right here, Bernardo Silva flicks the ball to Haaland contained in the penalty space…
… and the Norwegian controls it together with his proper…
… however dribbles together with his left as an alternative of taking pictures…
… then makes use of his proper once more to have the ability to shortly shoot together with his left…
… which he finally does when he chips the ball into the again of the online.
The rationale behind the delayed shot was that Haaland predicted that Robert Sanchez would keep on his line.
“Final yr, Sanchez had an important save on me as a result of he stays rather a lot on the road,” Haaland advised Sky Sports activities after the sport. “That’s why I took a few further touches, then he was dashing out and I knew precisely what to do.”
As a rule, Haaland will rating with a one-touch end as a result of he’s within the best place and that’s all he must do. Nonetheless, there can be different conditions the place extra work is required and the Metropolis striker is aware of exactly what to do there, too.
Generally Haaland’s ending may look robotic, however look slightly nearer and the artistry turns into clear.
(High photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP through Getty Pictures)