Erling Haaland credits Brentford defender for inspiring hard-fought Manchester City victory | OneFootball

Brentford’s defensive battles with Erling Haaland played a crucial role in the Norwegian securing Manchester City all three points on Sunday afternoon, the striker has admitted.

City’s narrow 0-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium saw Pep Guardiola’s side earn a vital win before the international break, with Haaland once again proving decisive in front of goal.

His first-half strike marked his 15th goal of the season across all competitions and ensured Guardiola reached a remarkable milestone of 250 Premier League victories as City boss, achieved faster than any other manager in the competition’s history.

It was, however, a performance built on hard graft rather than fluid dominance. City were forced to withstand long spells of pressure and defend their slender lead following Rodri’s early exit through injury – an issue the midfielder later confirmed was “not serious” following post-match assessments.

Erling Haaland’s relentless duels with Brentford centre-back Sepp van den Berg became a defining subplot of the contest, shaping both the tempo and tone of a physically demanding encounter.

Speaking in the aftermath of Manchester City’s gritty 0-1 win on the road at Brentford, Erling Haaland was keen to praise the individual battles with the West London side’s defensive unit.

“First five minutes he just kept pushing me so I said, ‘Alright, let’s have it’,” Haaland opened. “So I started pushing him back.”

He continued on the nature of his ultimately match-winning goal, “For me this is a proper goal. This goal for me is top. This is for me one of my better goals. I think it helps me because I was a bit tired before the game, thinking it’s going to be tough.

“Then after 10 seconds he started pushing me and it motivates me. All praise to him honestly, he made me want to do that,” he told television broadcasters after the game.

Speaking to the club’s official in-house media team, Haaland also credited Gianluigi Donnarumma’s role in securing the three points as he exclaimed, “Solid at the back, and of course, another massive game from the big Italian in goal.”

Haaland’s admission offers a revealing insight into his competitive mentality, particularly during matches where Manchester City must grind out results rather than overwhelm opponents.

The striker has now scored in each of his last nine games for club and country, continuing the resurgence that began following his moment of visible frustration after the AS Monaco draw; a reaction Pep Guardiola downplayed earlier this week, insisting his players “all want to win”.

With the international break providing a brief pause from club duties, Erling Haaland will now turn his attention to focus with Norway and later recovery ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming home fixture against Everton.

Manager Pep Guardiola will also hope his talisman remains sharp and motivated, with the Norwegian’s physical intensity and mindset once again proving the difference in tight contests.