By Betsefy
Erling Braut Haaland will be aiming to break a Premier League scoring record set by Luis Suarez when Manchester City lock horns with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a record-breaking start to life at the Etihad Stadium, netting a remarkable 20 goals in just 13 appearances across all competitions.
Haaland started every game for the Citizens until Pep Guardiola decided to bench the Norway international for the goalless Champions League draw against Copenhagen on Tuesday.
City’s No.9 now heads into Sunday’s showdown fresh and raring to go, and he will be seeking revenge against Liverpool after failing to score in City’s 3-1 Community Shield defeat against the Reds in July.
Indeed, Haaland holds the record for most goals (15) and most goal involvements (18) in a player’s first 10 appearances in the Premier League with a game to spare.
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However, the Norwegian goal machine could break a new Premier League scoring record this weekend which is currently held by former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan scored an impressive 16 goals within a 10-game period for the Reds between October and December 2013.
Should Haaland score once on Sunday, he would equal Suarez’s record, but scoring two or more goals would see City’s No.9 break this record and become the first player in Premier League history to find the net more than 16 times within a 10-game stretch.
Haaland is currently head and shoulders above everyone else at the top of this season’s Premier League scoring charts, after netting 15 times in just nine games, seven more than his nearest challengers Harry Kane and Ivan Toney.
The Norwegian is sure to have his eyes on breaking Mohamed Salah‘s record of 32 Premier League goals in a single 38-game season, with the Norwegian now required to net a further 18 times in 29 matches to surpass Liverpool’s Egyptian king.
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Haaland will be hoping to take advantage of Liverpool’s leaky backline this weekend, with Jurgen Klopp‘s side keeping only two clean sheets in their opening eight league games so far this term. The Reds have also conceded a total of 12 league goals, twice as many compared with this stage last season.
The 6ft 5in striker will also relish playing on the road as he became the first ever Premier League player to score in each of his first four away fixtures in the competition when he netted the opener in a 3-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month – the striker had previously scored in away matches against West Ham United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, City have had plenty of joy in front of goals against Liverpool in recent years, scoring in each of their last 10 meetings with the Reds across all competitions, although they have only come out on the winning side on three of those occasions.
The Citizens currently sit second in the Premier League table, one point behind leaders Arsenal and 13 ahead of Liverpool who are languishing in 11th place.
While Haaland has been passed fit by Guardiola for Sunday’s game after suffering with fatigue in midweek, the Spaniard has confirmed that John Stones, Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker all remain sidelined with injuries.
