Haaland's change makes Premier League tremble

Haaland is still very dangerous in the penalty area. Photo: Reuters .

After the first 12 matches of the 2025/26 season, the Norwegian striker scored 15 goals and had 2 assists for Man City. For the national team, Haaland also scored 9 more goals and 2 assists in the last 3 matches, numbers that make every opponent wary.

It is worth mentioning that Haaland has changed his playing style since Kevin De Bruyne left the team at the end of last season. Without his familiar passer, Haaland has been forced to adapt to a new role. He focuses more on moving and choosing a position in the penalty area, instead of constantly running to wait for a pass from his teammates.

This season’s stats show that 60 of Haaland’s 206 touches (3.43 per game) have come inside the opposition box. He has taken 36 of his 37 shots (97%) from inside the 16.50-metre area, a figure that is well above the average for any Premier League striker. Last season, Haaland’s rate was 91% (98/108), showing a marked change in style.

This has increased Haaland’s chance conversion rate by nearly 10%, confirming his absolute efficiency when operating as a “penalty area killer”. The heatmap also shows that Haaland often moves on the right wing, waiting for crosses from Jeremy Doku or Savinho before cutting in at the far post to score.

Haaland's ability to seize opportunities is still formidable. Photo: Reuters .

In addition, 9 of Haaland’s 11 Premier League goals this season have come from his superb left foot, exceeding his expected goals (xG) of 8.92. Haaland’s playing style now resembles that of a “poacher”, a classic striker who appears at the right time and place to finish off opponents.

The Norwegian star is no longer focused on sprinting to beat the offside trap. Instead, it is the ability to choose the right time to move and read the situation well. A typical example is the second goal against Wolves in the opening round of the 2025/26 Premier League, when he waited until the last second to enter the penalty area, instead of moving early.

In the context that Man City has speed drills like Savinho, Doku and Aït-Nouri on both wings, Haaland becomes the center of the high-speed counter-attacking system that Pep Guardiola is building.

With his size, strength and all-round finishing ability, the 25-year-old striker still seems to have a lot to make the whole Premier League tremble.

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/thay-doi-cua-haaland-khien-premier-league-run-so-post1598643.html