Recap Arne Slot and Ryan Gravenberch news conference before Tuesday's Champions League match with Real Madrid (20:00 GMT)
Slot speaking after his side beat Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League to end their four-match losing streak in the league
Slot says Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong and Alisson Becker remain out for Tuesday evening
Real Madrid visit Anfield with former player Trent Alexander-Arnold in their squad
Slot says Alexander-Arnold will get "warm welcome" from him
Get Involved: What reception should Alexander-Arnold receive at Anfield?
ICYMI: Thomas Frank on Tottenham fans boos | Spence and Van de Ven's apology | team news
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Beyond doubt, he is the best. He demands even more of himself than his manager, his team-mates, or his supporters dare to ask. I'm not a City fan, but it is quite astonishing just how many times he creates space for himself when being marked by two players.
Peter
I'm assuming we are still talking Erling Haaland here Peter, and not your namesake Peter Crouch?
Image source, Getty ImagesErling Haaland's scary statistics this season have left many in awe of the 25-year-old's prowess in front of goal.
However, it was his robot dance to mark Sunday's opener in the win against Bournemouth that sparked the day's big talking point.
It was a flashback to the iconic celebration of towering former Liverpool and England forward Peter Crouch.
"Guess I couldn't hide it any longer…," said Haaland on social media afterwards, while Crouch joked: "I walked so they could run."
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
Right, before we move on to the wider title race, we just have to broach one more talking point that requires a similarly nostalgic reminder of the recent past.
Erling Haaland and the robot celebration, who he has copied from...?
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In my lifetime, best 'centre forwards' have been Henry, David Villa, Totti and Rooney. Out and out strikers - Suarez, Lewandowski, Batistuta, Ibrahimovic and Benzema all incredible - but original Ronaldo another class entirely.
Gary
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
Talking about Erling Haaland being a model pro, I was lucky enough to attend an open training session Manchester City held in pre-season.
Part of the session involved players doing gym exercises.
They all seemed to struggle with one in particular - bouncing a medicine ball.
The aim was to get it to bounce up to chest height and it looked to sap every ounce of energy, just to do a couple.
Not for Erling though, who was bouncing the heavy ball like it was one you might find in a beach shop, making it go higher and faster than any of his team-mates.
All the while, he had this menacing grin on his face that reminded me of Ivan Drago from the film Rocky IV...
Maybe not a reference for younger readers, but Google it kids, you won't be disappointed.
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Kane is great but Haaland is better. He is doing it in a much more difficult league and is 7 years younger, his best days could still be ahead of him. Don't forget Haaland dominated the Bundesliga as a 20 year old.
Dan
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's not just for Manchester City that Erling Haaland is in fine form.
That form has continued over to his country, Norway.
His double against Bournemouth has taken his total goals for club and country in 2025-26 to 26 in 16 appearances.
We're in November.
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One week Big Erl is a league 2 player, next he is best in the world. Hard to keep up.
Niall
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "You run out of superlatives. People may criticise [Erling Haaland], saying that he doesn't involve himself in play enough.
"But he scores a ridiculous amount of goals and will go on to break all kinds of records - if he stays in the Premier League."
Ex-City goalkeeper Shay Given added: "Erling Haaland has got aspirations of being the best striker in Premier League history, the best player in Norwegian history, and probably the best player in the world.
"The stuff he does off the pitch, he is the ultimate professional."
Image source, Getty ImagesWe know what the opposition think about Erling Haaland, but what about his team-mates.
Speaking after Manchester City's victory over Brentford in October, midfielder Nico Gonzalez described Haaland as "the best striker in the world".
He's probably got a point, you know...
"Sometimes I have tried to defend against him [in training] but he's unstoppable - so strong and so fast," Gonzalez told BBC Radio Manchester.
"It's incredible. When you defend against it you realise it. I didn't realise he was that hard to defend before. I don't think it's the only way he can score like this - he can score in every way possible.
"He's the best striker in the world and we are so happy to have him here."
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Is Haaland the best striker in the world today? Yes, with Kane a close second. Is Haaland the best striker ever? No, that still belongs to Ronaldo Nazario [R9].
David
Image source, Getty ImagesMan City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesEven if Manchester City have become over-reliant on Erling Haaland, understanding the threat and stopping it are two very different things.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was the latest Premier League manager to try - and fail - on Sunday.
“I think in the first half [Erling] Haaland made a difference," he told Sky Sports. "The way we want to play, we want to press them, and the timing between our two centre-backs wasn’t there at times.
"He [Haaland] is just big. His finishing level [is high], and now in great form, he can punish you.”
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I find it funny that City, a team who pretty much played without a striker between 2019 and 2022, are now relying on their striker to score every single goal. Who said Pep can't adapt?
Steven
According to Opta, if Erling Haaland carries on at the rate he is going, he will smash the record for proportion of a team's goals scored by one player in a Premier League season.
The current holder of the "put the team on your back" award is James Beattie, who scored 23 of Southampton's 43 goals (53.5%) in the 2002-03 season.
Percentage of teams goals scored:
*season still in play
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Haaland is a close second to Harry Kane. I don't see Haaland still performing at this high level in 10 years time when he's the age Kane is now.
Jay
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother question might be how you best judge a centre forward and a striker.
Maybe a centre-forward's best metric is goal involvements - goals and assists - while a striker should be judged purely on goals?
We're probably getting a bit ahead of ourselves but here's a reminder of the current all-time Premier League top scorers list.
Could Erling Haaland make his way among this lot sooner rather than later?
Top 10 Premier League scorers of all time:
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
You know, we have a good idea at the start of every day what we would like to talk about in this page, but almost always it is you, the readers, who then take it in one direction or another.
It feels like Tim is taking us down a path here that I wasn't expecting but may be quite interesting:
There is a subtle difference there, isn't there?
Thumbs up if you agree with Tim, thumbs down if you don't.
And please expand by giving us some of your shouts as to the best strikers in history, and the best centre forwards.
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There is a subtle difference between a “striker” and a “centre forward”. A striker is preeminently a goal scorer while a centre forward has other factors, such as bringing in other forwards and occasionally dropping into midfield. Kane is the best centre forward in the world, Haaland the best striker.
Tim
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesSo what is it like to face an in-form Erling Haaland?
Bournemouth's David Brooks gave an insight in his post-match interview with Sky Sports: “The big man up top for them [Erling] Haaland is always a threat, especially when we are being really aggressive. He took his chances well today in the first half, which made us have to go for it a bit more in the second half, and it [the game] got away from us in the end."
On how to stop Haaland: “It’s almost impossible. He’s six foot five, absolutely rapid, strong and brilliant in the air. He’s a fantastic player."
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Let's hear from the man himself.
Erling Haaland told Sky Sports that his first thought is for the team, when asked if he felt unstoppable right now: "I didn't score last game [before Bournemouth].
"I try to help the team to win - that's my goal. Whether that's by scoring, helping or winning duels, it doesn't matter as long as we are winning games.
"I want to help the team become a better football team, that's my job."
Image source, Getty Images| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 19 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 16 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 13 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 11 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 11 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 7 |
| |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 6 |
| |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 2 |
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