Roy Keane has now jokingly given Erling Haaland an upgrade to a ‘Championship player’ after his previous strong assessment. Following Manchester City’s draw to Arsenal on March 31, Keane claimed that the striker is ‘almost like a League Two player‘ after a poor performance. Keane previously said that Haaland played similar to the level of a League Two playerGetty Haaland is regarded as one of the best players in the world given he has scored 32 goals this season, so such a view raised many eyebrows. The Norwegian’s latest goal for City saw him come off the bench in their 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest, one that showcased his true quality in front of goal with clever touches and a cool finish. Keane was on punditry duty for Sky Sports and after the match he was asked what level he thinks Haaland’s general play is at now. “Very much like a Championship player,” he said in response with a slight smirk, which drew laughter in the studio. Keane added: “No, in terms of goal scoring he’s absolutely amazing, he’s taken about three or four touches there [before his goal], the defender is on his back foot. “Yeah listen, there’s no doubt he’s quality in terms of his finishing, brilliant again. You’re looking at the players coming off the bench, he’ll be frustrated and he’ll be annoyed. “So when he’s coming on he wants to have an impact on the game, and when the game is stretched like that, you’ve got people like [Kevin] De Bruyne, he’s making them runs. “He’s going to find you and then it’s just that bit of sharpness which he’s shown.” Haaland’s goal against Forest proved why he’s one of the best in the businessGetty And it was enough for Keane to bump him up two leagues in his estimations@SkySportsPL X Haaland had not featured in City’s FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea and league victory at Brighton amid claims he was feeling fatigued during their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. But he returned with a bang on Sunday to score a crucial goal that boosts their chances of winning a record fourth consecutive title. The 23-year-old’s 32 goals this season have come in 40 appearances across all competitions for the treble winners. Haaland netted a staggering 52 times in the previous campaign and although it’s a tally he’s unlikely to match in the final few games, his current total is still impressive. City sit second in the Premier League and a point behind leaders Arsenal but hold a game in hand over them with four left to play. Much of their success last season was down to Haaland’s incredible goal scoring form and he could prove to be the difference yet again in the season run-in.
Ederson has been spotted leaving the City Ground with his arm in a sling having gone off during Manchester City’s win on Sunday. The City goalkeeper was substituted at half-time in their 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest after picking up the knock. Ederson was pictured leaving the stadium in a sling He collided with Forest defender Willy Boly in the box late in the first half and was left holding his arm before receiving treatment. Ederson continued to play until the break but was then replaced by Stefan Ortega, who played the second half of the game. It was a worrying sign for Man City fans who will want their No.1 goalkeeper fit for the final few games of the season. And those worries will have increased post-match after the Brazilian was spotted leaving the stadium with his arm in a sling. His left arm was strapped up completely and looked in bad condition as he walked to the team bus. It has not been confirmed what the injury is, but manager Guardiola gave an update on Ederson after the game. He told Sky Sports: “Ede is injured, I don’t know how long that will be.” The City boss continued: “It doesn’t look very good with Ede. We will see tomorrow.” This collision has led to Ederson leaving the City Ground in a slingAFP Ederson received treatment on the pitch and played the remainder of the first halfGetty Guardiola will want Ederson fit for his side’s remaining four games of the campaign as they compete for an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title. City are one point behind Arsenal in the title race and have a game in hand which, should they win it, will put them top. They take on Wolves on Saturday before having three games in eight days scheduled afterwards. So having key players fit will be crucial, meaning they will be desperate to have Ederson back in action. If he is ruled out though, Ortega has proved he is capable of replacing him, most recently keeping a clean sheet against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Erling Haaland seemed to celebrate with his best impression of Homer Simpson after sealing Man City’s win over Nottingham Forest. The Norweigan superstar came off the bench at the City Ground to make it 2-0 to City and secure a crucial three points. Haaland scored Man City’s second goal against ForestGetty Josko Gvardiol‘s first-half header put Pep Guardiola‘s side ahead before Haaland brilliantly added another. He marked his return to action after missing the last two games with a goal and showed his delight with his celebration. As he wheeled away, he ran behind the goal and found a pitchside microphone used for TV broadcasts. Haaland bent down to grab it, screaming ‘Woo-Hoo’ in a high-pitched voice before being surrounded by teammates. It led to fans pointing out that his scream sounded exactly like Homer Simpson who is known for his signature high-pitched squeal. Instantly, social media was filled with the comparison with the similarity uncanny. One fan posted on X: “Did Haaland just do a Homer Simpson ‘woohoo!’ into the microphone?” Another wrote: “Haaland hitting a perfect Homer Simpson ‘Woo-hoo’ after scoring. What can’t he do?” Erling Haaland with his best Homer Simpson impersonation with that 'woo hoo' pic.twitter.com/XScwJJXQZx— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 28, 2024 Haaland could be a fan of The Simpsons and have done it intentionally, but it’s likely it was just a very strange coincidence. He’ll be sure to laugh about it post-match after he’s done celebrating with the rest of the Man City team following a crucial win. City are now back to only one point behind league leaders Arsenal with a game in hand after beating Nottingham Forest. The Gunners were four points ahead earlier on Sunday having beaten bitter rivals Tottenham 3-2 in the north London derby. Haaland was pleased to get the job done and get back out onto the pitch after a short spell out. “It’s an important win, it does not matter how we do it, and it is good to be back,” he told Sky Sports. “We knew it was going to be a fight, and the pitch was not the easiest to play on but we cannot complain. “It is about winning and that is exactly what we did.”
The battle for a spot in the top four in the Premier League this season looks like it’s going right down to the wire yet again. Tottenham and Aston Villa are battling it out for one place, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City well clear at the top of the table. The Champions League battle is fascinatingAFP Villa and Spurs have pulled away from the rest and they will be fighting each other to book a spot among Europe’s elite. Here, talkSPORT.com takes an in-depth look at the race for Champions League football… Tottenham can close on Aston Villa by winning their two games in hand Aston Villa – 4th The Villans have enjoyed an incredible campaign and they are in the driving seat in the race for fourth. Unai Emery‘s men started the year with eight consecutive home wins, and after a victory over Arsenal in early December, they were well in the title race. Since then, they’ve dropped off a bit and slipped to a 3-3 draw at home to Brentford just days after losing 4-1 away to Man City. At a crucial point in their campaign, a 4-0 humbling by Spurs last month, handed the Londoners the initiative. However, an incredible win over Arsenal has changed their Champions League outlook. Villa have since beaten Bournemouth and now have a six-point gap to Tottenham with their rivals having two games in hand. Predicted finish – 4th Ollie Watkins has enjoyed an incredible season and has led Villa’s European chargeGetty Aston Villa's remaining fixtures Brighton – A – May 4 Liverpool – H – May 11 Crystal Palace – A – May 19 Tottenham – 5th Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou in his first season as a Premier League manager have been a breath of fresh air. They have scored 67 goals so far in their first campaign without talisman Harry Kane – only five sides have bagged more. Spurs have played with freedom all season, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have proven to be excellent signings. Inconsistency has cost them at times this year, with good results then being followed by poor ones, leaving their top-four hopes in the balance. They have two games in hand on Villa, which will be vital, but they still have to face Premier League title rivals Man City and Liverpool, while a defeat in the north London derby hasn’t done them many favours. Again, it’s likely to be these games that decide their fate, although it’s advantage Villa heading into the final few fixtures. Predicted finish – 5th Spurs fans have enjoyed this yearGetty Tottenham's remaining fixtures Chelsea – A – May 2 Liverpool – A – May 5 Burnley – H – May 11 Man City – H – May 14 Sheffield United – A – May 19
Bukayo Saka admits Arsenal’s experience in a title race helped them see out a nervy end to their win over Tottenham. The Gunners held a 3-0 lead over their north London rivals at half time but conceded two goals in the second half. Saka believes experience helped them see out their win over SpursGetty Heung-min Son scored his penalty to make it 3-2 in the 87th minute but Arsenal were able to see out the win for all three crucial points. Last season, Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to do this at the business end of the campaign and they ultimately lost the title race. However, Saka believes it’s different this time round and what they have learnt from their past shortcomings could aid their ambitions. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, he was asked if Arsenal have to be perfect until the end of the season as they compete for the title with Manchester City. “Yeah there’s not much room for error,” he replied. “We’ve shown last year and the years before… we’ve got experience now, we learnt our lessons last year and we’re ready for the last three games.” And when questioned on getting results over the line despite late goals being conceded, he added: “Exactly, we showed that today. “Maybe last season I don’t know, that could have ended in a draw but today we showed that we have the experience now. “We can come here and get three points, even when the stakes are high, it’s a massive game. So yeah, delighted like I said before.” Arsenal couldn’t sustain the pressure on City last season as they came secondGetty But things seem to be falling into place this time roundGetty Saka scored Arsenal’s second goal of the game, a low finish from Kai Havertz’s ball, and celebrated by cupping his ears to the Spurs fans. It’s a popular celebration when it comes to bitter battles like the north London derby and one Saka wasn’t afraid to use away from home. “I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it,” he said laughing, with the 22-year-old clearly delighted with his choice of celebration. Arsenal’s victory has seen them return to the top of the Premier League and put them one point ahead of City. The reigning champions do have a game in hand though, with this season’s title race set to go to the wire.
Manchester City’s Rodri and Nathan Ake appeared to have a disagreement as they headed down the tunnel for half time at Nottingham Forest. The reigning Premier League champions had a 1-0 lead heading into the break at the City Ground – but two of their stars were far from being all smiles as they walked off the pitch. Rodri appeared to give an animated rant as he walked down the tunnelSky Sports As the teams headed for the dressing room, TV cameras focused on the pair. Both players had their backs to the camera, but Rodri appeared to shrug and be venting to his teammate. Ake then responded with a similarly animated reaction. It’s unclear what the duo were saying, but it would suggest Man City weren’t thrilled with their side’s performance in what had been a tight affair. The pair have been key cogs in Pep Guardiola‘s side’s race for the Premier League title this season, with Ake playing 39 games in all competitions, whilst Rodri has made 44 appearances. Josko Gvardiol‘s header from a corner put Pep Guardiola’s side 1-0 up, his second goal in three Premier League games. However, the home side, who are just a point above the relegation zone, had a series of chances to get on the scoresheet, too. Chris Wood had a glorious chance in the first half, but was unable to sort his feet out quick enough to fire Gonzalo Montiel’s quick cross across goal into City’s net to level things up. The nature of Rodri and Ake’s disagreement may have come due to the massive chances City were giving to them in the first halfGetty Haaland sealed the victory with a right-footed strike on 71 minutesGetty Meanwhile, Murillo hit the crossbar from six yards out as he took an improvised shot from a goalmouth scramble. Forest were made to pay for their lack of composure in the second half, which City controlled, as Erling Haaland came off the bench to seal a 2-0 win for the visitors. Man City may be in the driving seat in the title race, but still can’t afford to drop points. Arsenal’s 3-2 win over fierce rivals Tottenham on Sunday leaves them one point above City, who still have another game in hand after their game at Forest.
