Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised his goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland on Saturday, saying the Norwegian’s record-breaking achievements were good for the team.
Haaland scored twice in City’s 3-1 win over beleaguered Leicester City to equal Mohamed Salah’s record tally of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season.
“I want, I desire, he can break all the records as possible,” Guardiola told a news conference. “That means he’s scored a lot of goals, that means that helps us.
“But I think he wants to win the titles, to be there, and still we are there. It’s impressive, (we) still have to play eight games and he’s close to breaking all of them.”
Haaland, in his maiden Premier League season, could obliterate the record in the remaining games.
The 22-year-old striker also took the English football single-season scoring record in all competitions when he got his 45th goal on Tuesday in City’s 3-0 Champions League quarter-final win over Bayern.
Haaland increased that to 47 on Saturday before Guardiola took him off at half time, with the second leg versus Bayern looming on Wednesday. He lingered long on the pitch after the final whistle however, waving and smiling.
The Spanish manager said Haaland’s response to sitting out the second half was "excellent as always", pointing out that his star striker was coming off a groin injury.
"You see his body language, his face during the game. He’s like John (Stones), John and him come from injuries... and after 45 minutes, (it) was good for them to rest."
Stones scored Manchester City’s other goal on Saturday, a left-footed rocket from 20 yards out.
Kevin De Bruyne now has 101 league assists after a beautiful set-up to Haaland’s second goal, making him only the fifth player in history to pass the 100 mark.
Asked if he was pleased with where City are as they head into the last stretch of the season, Guardiola said: "We're really good."