Tag Archives: Erling Haaland

4-4 at Chelsea (again!)

Yesterday’s 4-4 draw for Manchester City at Chelsea was heralded as a great game by the Sky TV pundits but of course, as fans, these sort of games never feel like great games at the time. They tend to feel like opportunities lost or maybe great comebacks depending on which side you support. Immediately after the game I was asked when City’s previous 4-4 draw was and I spent a few minutes thinking ‘I’ve never seen one before involving City, or have I?’ So, I then started to scour the material in my collection and was somewhat surprised to find it was against Grimsby in September 1950! Certainly many, many years before I was born.

My favourite goal yesterday was the one Haaland scored with his er… um… er… shorts area. The City scorers were: Haaland (25 minutes pen, 47 minutes),  Akanji (45+1 minutes),  Rodri (86 minutes) and for Chelsea (including two City old boys): Thiago Silva (29 minutes),  Sterling (37 minutes),  Jackson (67 minutes),  Palmer (90+5minutes pen)

Yesterday wasn’t the first time City drew 4-4 at Chelsea and, coincidentally I’d tweeted about this before the game. I never expected history to repeat itself. You can read about that match via the link below. Incidentally, the game was in 1936-37 and City won the title that year. Will history repeat itself again?

Chelsea 4 Manchester City 4

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A Well Earned Victory

Today (5 November) last year Manchester City defeated Fulham 2-1 but the victory had not been as straightforward as some had predited. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring after 17 minutes and the Blues looked comfortable but then Cancelo was sent off ten minutes later (a straight red) and City conceded the resulting penalty too.

The Blues seemed up against it and as the game entered added time it felt like it was going to be one of those days. Then De Bruyne was judged to have been fouled when he went down for a penalty deep into added time and Erling Haaland made it 2-1 from the spot kick. The following highlights are worth watching to see what you think of it all but, most significantly, listen to Alistair Mann’s commentary. His final words say in effect that this is the moment that swings the advantage to City in the title race and should be remembered in May as the day City won it. There’s often hyperbole in commentary but those words, recorded in November 2022, do seem to predict the future somewhat:

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/manchester-city-2-1-fulham-extended-highights-63803266

A Year Ago Today: An ‘Er-Ling, Erling Haaland’ Chant That Didn’t Take Off!

A year ago today (22 October) lifelong City fan Bobby Ward was in touch with a video he’d caught during City’s home game v Brighton of fans chanting a new Erling Haaland chant. Here’s the video (look out for the actions):

https://gjfootballarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/img_4796-1.mov

The words, if you can’t work them out, are:

What shall we do with a big Norwegian, What shall we do with a big Norwegian, Can’t stop him from scoring, Erling, Erling Haaland, Erling, Erling Haaland…

The game v Brighton on 22 October 2022 ended in a 3-1 City win with Haaland scoring twice.

I’m always keen on the development of football chants, so if you’re one of the guys who started this please get in touch with your story of the chant, the actions and so on. I’d be happy to say more about it here. You guys were certainly persistent.

6-3 Manchester Derby

It was a highly memorable day for Manchester City fans as Pep Guardiola’s Blues defeated Manchester United 6-3 before 53,475 on this day (2 October) in 2022. You can watch highlights here:

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/manchester-city-united-premier-league-extended-highlights-63800321

The City scorers were Phil Foden (3) and Erling Haaland (3). What a great day to be a Blue!

Manchester City v Red Star

I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s (19 September 2023) game in the Champions League between the reigning European champions Manchester City (and treble winners – will we ever get tired of remembering that?) and Red Star Belgrade. The Blues won 3-1 and, to be frank, could have scored a lot more had it not been for the heroics of Omri Glazer in the opposition goal (and a few weird finishes but it was a miserably wet night too!).

Summerbee brings in the Champions League trophy

Despite being a goal behind at half time it felt as if the Blues had enough to win the match from the outset and the the second half commenced in style when Julian Alvarez met an Erling Haaland throughball, rounded the keeper and prodded home the equaliser. This was about 73 seconds into the second half. Many Blues missed the goal as they were still returning from the toilets and the bars!

Alvarez opening goal celebration, 19 September 2023 Champions League MCFC v Red Star Belgrade

Alvarez netted a second when his free-kick from the left flew past ‘keeper Glazer after about 1 hour. Then after 73 minutes Rodri did what Rodri does best when he sent a curling strike into the net. It was another classic, just like the final in Istanbul. You can read what Istanbul (and relive that night) meant here:

From Istanbul to Istanbul

City have posted highlights of the game here:

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/manchester-city-red-star-belgrade-highlights-63830758

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City 6 Forest 0

On this day (31 August 2022) last year Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 6-0 in the Premier League. Haaland scored a hat trick, Alvarez two and one from Cancelo. It was a Wednesday night and the attendance was 53,409. You can watch highlights here:

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/manchester-city-6-0-nottingham-forest-extended-highlights-63797575

Champions League Celebrations Video

Every day I wake up and remember that Manchester City have won the Champions League final. What an incredible night! Here are some of the celebration scenes filmed by me & the members of my family who were with me. We were in block 327 row 12 and this is what we managed to capture. I hope those who couldn’t make it can get a feel for how it felt in the 70 Euros seats (though we of course stood throughout the game). If you were there feel free to get in touch with your own video clips and maybe we could get more of them posted?

The sound level on my old phone is not great and doesn’t quite capture how passionate and loud these celebrations are but i hope it gives enough of a taste of that night. I particularly like the players celebrating directly in front of our barriers.

https://gjfootballarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-champions-league-final-sd-480p.mov

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Raining on the Parade

Here are a few images from last night’s parade. I will be posting some video and other stuff later in the week, including material from Istanbul, but hopefully this will be of interest.

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MCFC v LUFC

An easy first half for Manchester City today, going 2-0 up thanks to Gundogan v Leeds at the Etihad. It could so easily have been more with shots hitting the bar and the post, plus a penalty which Haaland insisted Gundogan take that was saved. In the end Leeds pulled one back to make it 2-1 but it was a relatively easy game for the Blues and the score flattered Sam Allardyce’s new team.

There was an interesting moment when City fans chanted ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning.’

As seems to be customary these days the away fans chanted the ‘Where Were You’ chant. Surprisingly. It was within the first five minutes of the start. If only those fans chanting had read my programme articles today. One of them was my comparison of City & Leeds crowds. Reproduced below you can see how City actually increased the stadium’s capacity to cope with crowds when they dropped to their lowest point. The other attendance comparisons all work in City’s favour too.

Johnson’s 38th Goal

Today (4 May) in 1929 the legendary Tommy Johnson netted his 38th League goal of the season at Anfield when City drew 1-1 with Liverpool. This is at the moment (4 May 2023) Manchester City’s record number of goals by a player in a League season. His 38th goal came in the 22nd minute of the final game. Here for subscribers is a detailed look at Tommy’s record (while it stands!) and his life.

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