Liverpool know exactly how to stop Erling Haaland. They have studied his movement, marked his runs, and forced him into quiet nights before. But there are moments in football when one player finds such unstoppable rhythm that no amount of preparation can cage him. Right now, Manchester City’s Norwegian goal machine appears to be in precisely that zone — his most devastating form yet.
Tonight offers him more than just another Premier League fixture: it is a personal mission to silence the critics who claim “Haaland never scores against Liverpool.”
First Encounter — First Goal
It took him less than four minutes to score his first goal against Liverpool. The year was 2019. Red Bull Salzburg had travelled to Anfield for a Champions League match. Haaland, then only nineteen, started on the bench despite scoring a hat-trick against Genk in the previous game. When his team trailed 3–2, coach Jesse Marsch sent him on — and within minutes, he tapped in Takumi Minamino’s pass to make it 3–3.
It was one of the simplest finishes of his career, a tap-in into an empty net. Liverpool, however, restored the lead through Mohamed Salah to win 4–3. Yet that single goal introduced Haaland to English audiences — and arguably marked the true beginning of his ascent towards becoming the world’s most feared striker.
A Drought Against the Reds
After that electric start, goals against Liverpool have dried up like rain in the desert. In eight appearances, Haaland has scored just three times — his lowest tally against any side he has faced at least eight times.
| Opponent | Matches Played | Goals Scored | Average Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 8 | 8 | 1.00 |
| Arsenal | 6 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 0.80 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 4 | 0.80 |
| Liverpool | 8 | 3 | 0.38 |
For City alone, Haaland has faced Liverpool six times and found the net only twice — one of them in the league.
Learning Through Setbacks
His first meeting with Liverpool in City colours came in the 2022 Community Shield, where Darwin Núñez stole the spotlight as City lost 3–1. Haaland touched the ball just 14 times that day and even missed from six yards out, striking the crossbar. Pep Guardiola defended him afterwards:
“He didn’t score today, but he will. He knows how to find goals. He will help us a lot.”
Pep was right. The very next match, Haaland struck twice against West Ham — the start of a record-breaking season where he netted 36 Premier League goals and 57 in all competitions.
Still, a Premier League victory over Liverpool continues to elude him. He drew blanks in the heated 1–0 defeat at Anfield in October 2022 and again in last season’s 1–1 draw. Injury even kept him out of City’s home fixture last term.
In the Form of His Life
This season, Haaland is once again at his ruthless best. In 14 matches across the Premier League and Champions League, he has already scored 18 goals; with Norway, he has added nine more in just three outings — an astonishing 27 goals in 17 games overall.
He admits he has never felt sharper:
“I’ve never felt better in my career. It feels like I’m my best version right now.”
Behind that confidence lies an almost scientific approach to conditioning — red-light therapy, ice baths, saunas, massages, and a strict diet of fresh fish, steak, and raw milk.
“To stay sharp, the mind must be clear,” he said. “You rest properly, eat properly, and stay calm at home. When the moment comes, you focus.”
Aiming Higher — Norway’s World Cup Dream
Asked recently if he thinks about breaking Alan Shearer’s 260-goal Premier League record, Haaland smiled:
“I don’t want to sound arrogant — but which record?”
Yet one ambition genuinely stirs him — leading Norway to their first World Cup since 1998. After facing Liverpool, his focus will switch to qualifiers against Estonia and Italy. With twelve goals already in the campaign, Norway sit on the brink of qualification.
“If Norway reach the World Cup, it’ll be a national festival,” he said. “I was born two years after our last one. My dream is to take us there — it would mean as much as winning any trophy with City, maybe even more.”
The Most Dangerous Zone in Football
Two goals define this week for Haaland — beating Liverpool in the league and carrying Norway to the world stage. Yet despite the magnitude, he remains calm:
“I don’t think about what people expect. I try to keep my mind free — to stay in my zone.”
That “Haaland Zone” is now one of the most dangerous places in football.
Tonight, Liverpool step into it once more — the only team yet to be swept away by his storm.
Will they survive again, or will Anfield’s old nemesis finally make them pay?