Pep Guardiola praised Haaland as better than Isak

Coach Pep Guardiola affirmed that Erling Haaland is still the number one striker in the world, surpassing Liverpool's expensive new signing Alexander Isak.

Pep Guardiola praises Haaland. Photo: Reuters .

Before the press conference for the Manchester derby on September 12, Liverpool coach Arne Slot once rated Isak as “probably the best striker in the world ”. But this opinion was immediately rejected by Pep Guardiola.

“Haaland is a little bit better. Isak is a great player, but for me, Haaland is number one. I wouldn't change Haaland for anyone in the world. Others can choose Kylian Mbappe, Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but I know Haaland, I like him and I believe he is special," said Guardiola.

Haaland is in impressive scoring form. Despite missing many chances in the loss to Brighton, the Norwegian striker still scored 3 goals in the Premier League this season. On the national team, he just shone with 5 goals against Moldova in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on September 10.

Man City entered the Manchester derby in a difficult situation. The Cityzens lost Omar Marmoush due to a knee injury while serving the Egyptian national team, while two new recruits Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri were also absent. John Stones is still a doubt, but the good news is that Phil Foden has recovered in time.

However, Guardiola admitted that the team is having problems after the worst start in 21 years. After 5 rounds, Man City lost 2 matches and is 6 points behind Liverpool in the championship race. The Etihad team is even ranked 13th on the rankings, behind MU (9).

Haaland's superb performance in the 11-1 win On the morning of September 10, Haaland scored 5 goals to help Norway beat Moldova 11-1 in the European World Cup qualifiers.

Source: https://znews.vn/pep-guardiola-khen-haaland-hay-hon-isak-post1584860.html