“The hardly-used pass master” – The crazy Haaland stat that defines Man City 4-0 Bournemouth
Manchester City brushed Bournemouth aside in a dominant afternoon of football best illustrated by one crazy stat.
William Hill Chelsea vs Tottenham Offer: Get 35/1 on Chelsea or 50/1 on Tottenham
KQC: 18+. Play Safe. New customers using EPCH35 or EPS50. Applies to bets placed from 9:00 on 11 August 2022 until 16:30 on 14 August 2022. £1 must be staked at Chelsea to win at 35/1 or Spurs to win at 50/1. Returns paid as 7 X £5 or 2 X £25 in free bets (30 day expiry). Player & currency restrictions & terms apply. #ad
The two-time Premier League champions won 4-0 and never really looked in danger of getting anything besides a win thanks in part to their star striker Erling Haaland. The giant Norwegian was making his home debut and defined the game.
Of course, what’s interesting is Haaland didn’t even score a goal like he did last week when he devastated West Ham with a brutal brace, yet he still managed to define the game through his movement and, believe it or not, his passing.
Unibet welcome offer: Money back up to £40 if your first bet loses (and a £10 Casino bonus)
Don't have a Unibet account already? You could up to £40 back in bonus bets if your best wager loses by following three simple steps:
- Sign up to Unibet using THIS LINK
- Deposit a minimum of £10
- Meet the terms and conditions when placing your bet, and if it loses you could get up to £40 back as bonus bets.
18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first sports bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Visit Unibet.co.uk for full T&C's.
In terms of movement, Haaland’s threat is so huge that when he moves about the pitch he does so with an incredible amount of “gravity” pulling opponents towards him, allowing him to act as a decoy just like he did for Kevin de Bruyne’s delirious trivela finish for City’s second goal, or Foden’s slapshot third for City.
But the passing was where the real magic happened.
- 2022/23 Premier League outright winner odds
- Premier League Predictions & Tips
- 2022/23 Premier League relegation odds
Erling Haaland had just 8 touches of the ball against Bournemouth. He was a constant threat to be involved, but played off the ball. He could have scored if Phil Foden had squared the ball to him in the early going, but instead it was down to Haaland to create the opener.
A pass fired in to him was controlled superbly, then Haaland turned and slipped Ilkay Gundogan through with a perfectly-weighted through-ball and the German supplied the superb finish to make it 1-0.
One pass attempted, one pass completed.
888sport betting offer: How to get £30 in free bets (+£10 casino bonus)
Eligible readers interested 888sport's welcome offer can follow THIS LINK and sign up using the code 30FB.
Min deposit £/€/$10 • Promo code: 30FB • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at £500, excluding Jackpot wins • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & full T&Cs apply. 18+ only. Please play responsibly. For more information, visit Be Gamble Aware.
Haaland then took kick-off after De Bruyne’s second goal. And those two passes, the assist to Gundogan and the kick-off, were the only passes that Erling Haaland attempted in the entire game.
No, seriously.
Two passes attempted, two passes completed, one chance created and one assists. He had as many shots (2) as he did passes.
Erling Haaland completed just two passes against Bournemouth.
One was from kick off and the other was an assist for Ilkay Gundogan. 😆 pic.twitter.com/BgwsAVpW6j
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 13, 2022
In fact the hardly-used pass master Erling Haaland is the only player in the Premier League since 2016/17 to make two or fewer passes and still provide an assist, having played 74 minutes.
That is why he is so scary: Manchester City barely even need to pass him the ball to terrifying and torment teams in the Premier League.
