Fans on Twitter brought up a Lionel Messi reference as Erling Haaland scored with a bicycle kick in Manchester City's 4-1 win against Southampton on Saturday (April 8). The goal marked the Norwegian's second of the match.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker opened the scoring in the 45th minute before Jack Grealish made it two for the hosts in the 58th minute of the game. The Norwegian then scored in the 68th minute with a bicycle kick from a Jack Grealish assist.
Julian Alvarez netted from the penalty spot in the 75th minute to make it 4-1 for the visitors.
Fans were left stunned by the City number 9's acrobatic effort. They reacted on Twitter with awe. One fan wrote:
"3-0 Manchester City. ERLING HAALAND SCORES WITH A BICYCLE KICK!!!! HE'S NOT REAL!!!!!"
Another fan made a claim involving Argentina's legendary captain as he wrote:
"Erling Haaland will break Messi's calendar year goals record soon."
City, meanwhile, moved within five points of league leaders Arsenal with the win. They now have 67 points on the board from 29 matches.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter as Manchester City defeated Southampton in their latest Premier League clash:
Pundit tips striker better than Erling Haaland to succeed Lionel Messi at PSG
Lionel Messi is currently in the final months of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Argentine ace could be on his way out of the club in the summer.
The Parisians might raid the market to get a replacement for the legendary Argentinian. PSG's interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is well-documented. Italian sports agent Andrea D'Amico thinks the Nigerian could be a perfect replacement for the PSG no. 30.
He told Radio 24 (via GOAL):
“At the moment, Osimhen is the best striker in the world. Yes, even better than Haaland. He certainly won't lack of options, especially in England and Paris Saint-Germain, who could lose an important player up front. In my opinion, Messi will go to Miami. But that's just my opinion.”
Apart from PSG, Osimhen has also been linked with a move to the Premier League with clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea being interested in him.