Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola lauded Erling Haaland after the striker made a comeback that helped the European Champions beat RP Leipzig 3-2 after being two goals down in the first half at Etihad Stadium, England, on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League's (UCL) group-stage encounter.
Haaland found the back of the net in the 54th minute to make a comeback which was eventually completed with Julian Alvarez’s 87th minute strike that helped Man City stay on top of Group F.
Haaland, with his fifth UCL goal of the season, bagged his 40th overall and became the fastest player to do so in just 35 matches. He broke legendary Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring as many goals in 45 matches.
Guardiola, aiming for his second European title with Man City, was out of words to praise the Norwegian striker saying that the team is really pleased to have him.
"Again? I have to tell you again?" Guardiola laughed when asked for comment. "A thousand million times, I'm really impressed. They won today. Another record. Congratulations. He's a fantastic player. I tell you many times, we're really, really pleased.
"We love him, not just for the goals he scores, but for many many other things."
Earlier, Haaland became the fastest player to score 50 goals in the Premier League as he scored the only goal during the match against Liverpool.
He achieved this feat in only 48 appearances, shattering the long-standing record of 65 held by Manchester United striker Andy Cole.
At 23 years old, Haaland now leads a group of esteemed strikers, with Alan Shearer (66), Ruud van Nistelrooy (68), Fernando Torres, and Mohammed Salah (72) as his closest competitors.
During the previous season (2022/23), Haaland also set the record for the most goals in a 38-game season, scoring an incredible 36 times by the end of the league run. His contribution was vital in Manchester City's Treble-winning season, where he netted 12 Champions League goals in just 11 appearances.