Manchester City might just be the luckiest club in the world.
That’s not in the derogatory sense sometimes used in football for a team riding their luck. But more that they are extremely fortunate.
As a club, Man City might just have the two best strikers in the world in their respective field. For the men’s side, there’s Erling Haaland. For Man City Women, it’s Bunny Shaw.
Two players at the very top of their game, blowing the opposition away.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Goalscoring prowess
Let’s start with the basics. Goals. Both Haaland and Shaw are topscorers in their respective leagues this season. Haaland has scored 20 goals in 24 Premier League games, while Shaw has scored 14 goals in 14 WSL matches.
They’re pretty close in terms of per 90 minutes, with Haaland’s goals coming at 0.9 to Shaw’s 1.1. Those returns aren’t impacted by a small sample size either. Shaw and Haaland have proven across their English careers that they can score at a consistent rate. After all, Shaw finished joint-top scorer of the WSL in 2024-25 despite missing a good chunk of the campaign through injury.
Shaw and Haaland are match winners too. The pair both average 0.4 winning goals per 90 in the league this season. Haaland has scored the winning goal seven times, while Shaw has done so on five occasions. And she doesn’t rely on penalties for her goals either.
There is an interesting contrast, though. Haaland’s goal are split a lot closer in terms of home and away. The Norwegian has averaged 0.4 away goals per 90 and 0.6 at home. Shaw, on the other hand, averages 0.8 home goals per 90 with 0.3 on the road. While they are both stronger at home, as you’d expect, Shaw is a lot happier at the Joie Stadium than she is elsewhere.
Of course, the two strikers have different dominant feet too. So Shaw favours her right, with 0.6 goals per 90, while Haaland has scored 0.7 per 90 with his left. If you put them both together, you might just build the greatest striker of all time.
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Busy shooters
Haaland and Shaw are both such good goalscorers because they make the most of their chances. For Shaw, there is a high volume of chances.
The Jamaican striker averages 5.1 shots per 90 in the WSL this season, excluding those efforts blocked. There are a further 1.0 shots blocked per 90. Haaland, meanwhile, averages 3.3 shots per 90 (excluding blocks) and 0.7 shots blocked.
Given the amount of her shots, it’s no surprise to see Shaw post 2.6 shots on target per 90 compared to Haaland’s 2.0. But to have both players average at least 2.0 shots on target per 90 really highlights how lucky Man City are as a whole. Haaland does average fewer shots off target at 1.4 per 90 to Shaw’s 2.5. But that shouldn’t count against Shaw. She can afford to miss chances because she knows she’ll get more opportunities. And she’ll take those.
It’s a similar story with conversion rate. Haaland has scored with 27.4% of his total shots in the Premier League, while Shaw’s conversion rate is 20.29%. While they may seem low, they are actually very good for strikers. No one is going to score with every other shot. This isn’t EAFC.
All-round play
Goals are important, there’s no disputing that. But modern day strikers do also need to bring more than just shots. And, again, both Shaw and Haaland do just that. Shaw, in particular, is fantastic.
Shaw is more involved with Man City Women’s wider buildup play, rather than just being a fox in the box. That isn’t to say Haaland is bad for what he does. It’s just two slightly different striking styles. Shaw averages 39.3 touches per 90 with 11.4 in the opposition box. Haaland averages just 23.3 touches per 90, with 6.4 in the opposition box.
Haaland still averages 0.7 chances created per 90 in the Premier League this season, compared to Shaw’s 1.1 in the WSL. He does complete slightly more lay-offs at 1.0 per 90 to 0.9.
Shaw has a lot of success in the duels. She has won 65.91% of her aerial battles in the WSL this season and 49.5% of her ground duels. Haaland isn’t too far off. The Norwegian has won 64.29% of his aerial duels and has 46.91% ground duel success rate. The pair also win at least half of their attempted take-ons, though Shaw does attempt more than Haaland.
And, sometimes, the only way to stop them is by fouling. Shaw’s average of 1.0 fouls won per 90 should be more, but it does feel like opposition players are allowed to get away with more when it comes to the Jamaican. Maybe it’s the referees’ way of evening the field a little, given how lethal Shaw is when she has the ball at her feet.