Welcome to The Radar. Nick Wright’s Sky Sports column combines data and opinion to highlight must-know stories from the top and bottom of the Premier League. this week:
💨 Did Villa provide the blueprint for Haaland?
🔴Are the criticisms of Van Dijk exaggerated?
🔍 Players to watch this weekend
How do you stop Haaland?
At the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Liverpool will attempt to do what only two of the 17 teams have managed to do this season: stop Erling Haaland from scoring. He has already scored 27 goals for club and country. And there are still six months left in the campaign.
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Jamie Carragher explains why Haaland is Arsenal’s biggest title threat
Even by his standards, this number is outrageous. Haaland averages nearly two goals per 90 minutes. He is in the shape of his life. Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola believes he is performing on par with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haaland himself denied the comparison before Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund met in the Champions League. “No one can get close to those two,” he said. But another starring performance followed, and his former club became his latest victim.
Guardiola admits Manchester City’s reliance on Haaland is a problem. His 13 goals in the Premier League represent 65% of his total goals scored. City would be seven points worse off without them. None of his teammates have scored more than one point.
But now they are reaping the fruits of his labor. Jamie Carragher this week described Haaland as Arsenal’s biggest threat to winning the title. There is no doubt that he is the biggest threat to Liverpool’s chances of getting a result at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool will take encouragement from their previous fixtures.
Haaland has only scored three goals in eight games with the Reds during his career, and just one goal in four Premier League games. He was injured in the last match in February, but Liverpool had limited them to just three shots in the previous two games.
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Haaland responds to comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi
In a first-half one-on-one at Anfield last March, the centre-back remained calm and formed a wall between the rampaging Haaland and goalkeeper Alisson, but Virgil van Dijk has had the advantage in recent battles.
To see Haaland’s last goal against Liverpool, we have to go back to November 2023. Along with Spurs, they are one of only two teams to have stopped Haaland from scoring this season, with only Aston Villa and Newcastle restricting him more effectively.
Whether Liverpool can repeat the success of their previous encounter on Sunday is another question. They held off Real Madrid at Anfield and entered the game with renewed form. But this iteration of Haaland presents an even tougher test.
Manchester City have played to their striker’s strengths this season, focusing less on dominating possession and more on engineering opportunities for the striker to dart into space, as they did to such devastating effect against Bournemouth last weekend.
Haaland is contributing more to the team’s all-round play, while also taking more touches in the opposition box. Manchester City’s team is not perfect, but they have certainly succeeded in getting the most out of their strikers.
Arne Slott and his staff can of course refer to past meetings between Liverpool and Manchester City. But Aston Villa may have provided the blueprint for stopping Haaland in his current form.
Manager Unai Emery first mentioned the importance of goalkeeping when asked how his side did with the goalkeeper after the 1-0 win at Villa Park. Villa needed Emiliano Martinez to save one of Haaland’s three shots one-on-one in the first half.
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Compare Haaland’s record with Messi at the same age.
But the Villa manager also touched on other factors, such as man-to-man duels, holding the line and ensuring covering support. “It took everything to stop him,” he added.
One of the hallmarks of Aston Villa’s performance, and Ezri Konsa’s in particular, was how little space they gave Haaland. According to GeniusIQ data, the space in which he receives the ball is an average of just 2.8 meters, less than the average of 4.0 meters in City’s other games.
Ezri Konsa presses Haaland after receiving a square pass from Sabinho, with five Aston Villa players in position to cover.
Tightly controlled by Konsa, Haaland had far fewer touches overall and, crucially, in the opposition box than usual. He also had fewer shots and received just 10 passes, the lowest number in a Premier League game this season.
After Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in October 2022, Van Dijk said it was important to limit Haaland’s supply line and the space in which he could operate.
“Everyone in the outside world tried to stake it all on a one-on-one battle, but it was all about working together and shutting down the service,” he said.
Previously, that service was mostly from Kevin De Bruyne. However, since the Belgian left the club in June, a new path has opened up.
Sunday, November 9th 4pm
4:30pm kickoff
The player who has completed the most passes to Haaland in the Premier League this season is Phil Foden, with 16. Liverpool will also have to be wary of Rayan Cherki, who scored twice against Bournemouth.
Of course, even the best-laid plans may prove ineffective against Haaland. Thomas Frank, the only manager alongside Emery to have succeeded in stopping him this season, described the task as “nearly impossible”. But Sunday could make a difference.
van Dijk claims
If there’s anyone who can stop Haaland, it’s definitely Van Dijk.
It was fascinating to watch his interactions with Wayne Rooney after Liverpool’s Champions League win over Real Madrid. Rooney had questions about his body language and leadership early in the campaign. It was natural for Van Dijk to object to this criticism.
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Jamie O’Hara gives his opinion on Wayne Rooney’s criticism of Virgil van Dijk
“I think it’s good for former players who played at the highest level and dealt with difficult moments to put things into perspective,” he said alongside a slightly embarrassed-looking Rooney.
There is no doubt that Van Dijk has had some relatively bad games this season. However, it’s worth remembering that he brought in centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate early in the campaign, before helping Liverpool keep a clean sheet in their last two games.
The 34-year-old is, of course, reaching a point in his career where a downturn may start to materialize. But this season’s numbers show little evidence that his dominance is waning.
In fact, his duel success rate of 77.2% is higher than in any of his previous eight seasons with the club. Perhaps, as he suggested to Rooney, that criticism may be overstated. If he can help keep Haaland out again, his point will be made clear.
Player Radar: Other Players to Watch
On Thursday, Ismaila Sarr provided another reminder of his underrated attacking threat with a brace against AZ Alkmaar during the trip to Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace will be hoping for more from him against Brighton on Sunday.
Live Radar: What’s on Sky this weekend?
A double header will take place on Saturday, with Sunderland facing Arsenal at 5.30pm, followed by Chelsea facing Wolves at 8pm. Both matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm.
Sunday will be a multi-view extravaganza, with Aston Villa v Bournemouth, Brentford v Newcastle, Crystal Palace v Brighton and Nottingham Forest v Leeds being shown on Sky Sports at 2pm.
Then there’s the important thing. The match between Manchester City and Liverpool will be available to watch on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4pm, ahead of kick-off at 4.30pm.
Read the last radar column
Was Nick Waltemaid the Radar Jinx? Sorry, Newcastle fans. Last week’s column featured his impressive start to the Premier League, but he was sent off at half-time against West Ham.
