Erling Haaland burst into life at the London Stadium after 35 minutes of lopsided dominance by Manchester City, during which they had 85% of the possession but little offensive threat.
The game-changer was Ilkay Gundogan, who cleverly turned after receiving a pass from Joao Cancelo in a gap on the left, but it was Haaland’s lightning-quick reaction time that allowed him to intercept the German’s through-ball before Alphonse Areola and earn City a penalty.
It was the first indication of Haaland’s exceptional physical attributes—the strength and speed that contribute to making him such a formidable foe—and it was followed by a demonstration of his finishing prowess. His calmly executed penalty found its way into the bottom corner.
Midway through the second half, Haaland scored his second goal, displaying the same skills. The second run between Ben Johnson and Kurt Zouma was flawlessly timed.
