A Manchester City star has set the bar so high that his performances often get overlooked | OneFootball

Erling Haaland had yet another strong season for Manchester City. In 52 appearances in all competitions during City’s 2025-26 campaign, Haaland scored 38 goals and added 9 assists. Those are superb numbers for any striker. Also, Haaland’s overall game grew again as his build-up play improved, and he was often seen helping his team defensively at set-pieces. All of this shows how far Haaland has grown as an all-around player. Yet strangely, when the end-of-season awards were awarded and discussed, Haaland’s name barely got a mention. In a way, Erling Haaland suffers from just how high he sets the bar in terms of what is expected from him.

Erling Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time to cap off a strong season despite one dry spell.

Come the end of the 2025-26 season, Erling Haaland had once again claimed the Premier League Golden Boot. Haaland scored 27 goals in the Premier League, beating Brentford striker Igor Thiago to the crown by five goals, as Thiago scored 22 goals this season. Haaland has now won three Premier League Golden Boot awards in four seasons, which is a remarkable record in itself. However, it does feel like Erling Haaland’s performances this season were overlooked. Such is how high he has set the bar for himself since he arrived at Manchester City.

Despite having a strong 2025-26 season, Erling Haaland did suffer a blip throughout the middle of the season. The goals dried up from December until late January as fatigue seemed to hit Haaland. That trend seems to be the Haaland way at Manchester City. He starts the season strongly before tapering off in the middle. He then subsequently finishes each season with a bang. Perhaps when Haaland has a more complete season, his feats will get the recognition they deserve rather than being overlooked or taken for granted.

Manchester City will begin a new era next season with Haaland front and square of City’s next iteration.

The 2026-27 season will represent the beginning of a new era for Manchester City. Erling Haaland will be a prominent feature of what comes next for the club. With Pep Guardiola having departed his post as City manager, Haaland is almost the face of Manchester City now. With such a title comes great responsibility. That responsibility is exactly what Haaland is built for.

Manchester City will be hoping that Haaland scores 38 goals again next season. If he does that, he’ll have done his job. However, given how high Haaland has set the bar for himself, he’d likely have to score 50 goals next season to get the recognition he deserves. The scary part is that Haaland is capable of doing exactly that.

Erling Haaland had a strong 2025-26 season for Manchester City. It does feel like that has been overlooked. Haaland won’t be phased by that, as he is only interested in winning trophies. The Norwegian international has set the bar so high that scoring 38 goals and contributing 9 assists is considered a par season for him. That says a lot about how special a player Haaland is. City will be hoping he can have another strong season next season as it will lay the foundation for the new era at City.