Erling Haaland 2/1 to outscore Manchester United on Sunday

Erling Haaland has been priced up at 2/1 to outscore Manchester United in Sunday afternoon’s Etihad clash.

The tie is priced at the same 2/1, with United 5/4 to outscore the Manchester City man.

bet365's Sports and Trading expert Steve Freeth said: "It seems crazy that we're questioning a player that has won the Premier League Golden Boot in his first two seasons at Manchester City and sits top of the pile in his bid to match Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry by winning three on the bounce.

"However, following his recent 'drought' in front of goal, scoring nine in his last 17 games in all competitions, we make him a 2/1 poke to outscore a side against whom he's scored six goals in four games."

Remarkably, despite scoring just three goals in his last 10 Premier League games, Haaland is joint top of the goalscoring charts alongside Mohamed Salah.

Of course, the Norwegian plundered a ridiculous 10 goals in the first five games of the season, including a pair of hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham.

His 10 goals came from an xG tally of just 5.8, and even for someone of Haaland’s ability, there was always likely to be a drop-off. More interestingly, though, over the last 18 months, Haaland has scored 40 Premier League goals from 42.1 xG – the first time in his career he’s actually scoring fewer goals than expected.

The absence of Rodri could be blamed for many of Manchester City’s ills this season, but Pep Guardiola’s side are actually seeing more of the 18-yard box this season than they did last, and Haaland’s numbers are comparable with the rest of his career.

It may well be no more than a slump in front of goal for Haaland, and with five years in top European leagues under his belt, it’s hard to envisage that lasting too much longer, and Manchester United may find themselves on the receiving end of his wrath.

Only two Premier League teams have been punished more severely by Haaland than Manchester United – Wolves and West Ham. While United fans will have fond memories of their 2-1 win in January 2023 when the Norwegian didn’t get a sniff, it came on the back of a hat-trick in the reverse fixture, with Haaland scoring three more in the following season’s Premier League encounters.

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It’s been a mixed bag from United since the arrival of Ruben Amorim. They’ve started games well, scoring inside the first and second minute against Bodo/Glimt and Ipswich, but have looked extremely vulnerable in the air, conceding from three corners against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, with the latter scoring inside 90 seconds.

While the Red Devils have scored 10 goals in their last five games – a significant improvement from the end of Erik ten Hag’s reign, where they scored eight in his final eight games – they’ve also shipped one against Ipswich, two against Bodo/Glimt and Arsenal and three against Forest, and it’s hard to see them keeping City out on Sunday.

United have scored in all of their games under Amorim bar the trip to Arsenal, and the fear for their travelling support at the weekend is that they can score past weaker teams in the infancy of Amorim’s reign, but it may take time before they can hang with the bigger boys.

The positives for United is that City have been shambolic defensively, conceding 21 goals in their last nine games, keeping just one clean sheet in that time. United are as short as 2/5 to find the net on Sunday, and it would take a brave punter backing a City clean sheet with Pep Guardiola dropping first-choice goalkeeper Ederson.

Liam Williams

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• Manchester United F.C.
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