[dailymotion code=”x8oi3a5″ autoplay=”yes”]
The 2023 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony is around the corner, with some of the world’s best footballers among the nominees to succeed 2022 winner, Karim Benzema in lifting the Golden Ball at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on October 30.
The shortlist for the 2023 prize has been announced with Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Haaland seen as one of the favourites alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, club-mate Julian Alvarez and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain.
However, if Haaland wins the Ballon d’Or, it won’t be undeserved. As a matter of fact, the Norwegian striker truly deserves to win the Ballon d’Or 2023 due to the following reasons…
Historic Treble win with Man City
Haaland secured a historic treble with Manchester City, with the forward also highly instrumental to his club’s achievement after scoring 52 goals across all competitions in his debut season for the Cityzens.
It was the first time that a club from England would win the treble in 24-years with Man City matching the record of local rivals, Manchester United who won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999.
The Norwegian attacking sensation scored 12 goals in Man City’s 2022/23 Champions League campaign to claim the competition’s Golden Boot for the second time in his career.
Haaland broke host of records in 2022/23 season
Haaland certainly looks very good to win the most prestigious individual football award for the first time after he smashed and set a host of records during the 2022/23 campaign.
The striker became the first player ever to win both the Premier League Player of the Year and Premier League Young Player of the Year awards in 2022/23.
He became the player to score the most goals in a Premier League season after finding the net 36 times in 2022/23 and that was since Ron Davies bagged 37 goals for Southampton in 1966/67 which wasn’t during the EPL era.
Haaland broke the record for most goals in one season in all competitions by a Premier League player (52), comfortably surpassing the duo of Mohammed Salah in 2017/18 and Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03 (both 44).
By scoring nine goals in his first five Premier League matches, Haaland finally knocked Micky Quinn and Sergio Aguero’s names out of the record books with both players netting eight times in their opening five EPL games.
Haaland is already one of only six players to score back-to-back Premier League hat-tricks and he has a total of five.
[dailymotion code=”x8p436m” autoplay=”yes”]
The Man City striker is the second player with the most Premier League hat-tricks in a single season (Four) after Alan Shearer, who scored five for Blackburn Rovers in 1995/96.
Haaland is the first player in the Premier League to score hat-tricks in three consecutive home games, and the first Man City player to score a Manchester derby hat-trick since 1970.
The 23-year-old is unsurprisingly the quickest player ever to reach three Premier League hat-tricks after getting there in only eight games. The previous record holder was Michael Owen, who managed it in a sluggish 48 games. Next best are Ruud van Nistelrooy (59 games), Fernando Torres (64) and Andy Cole (65).
Haaland is also by definition the quickest player ever to reach four Premier League hat-tricks after achieving the feat in 19 games. The previous record holder was Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed it in a laborious 65 games. Next best are Luis Suarez (81), Alan Shearer (86) and Robbie Fowler (89).
Haaland is the fastest player to ever score 25 goals under Pep Guardiola, doing so in 20 games to beat Lionel Messi (28), Samuel Eto’o (30), Sergio Aguero (35) and Thierry Henry (41).
No player has ever scored more goals in a season for Man City than Haaland. Tommy Johnson’s mark of 38 goals stood since 1929 before Haaland broke it by mid-March of his debut campaign.
Haaland matched Lionel Messi’s record as the only players to score a first-half hat-trick in a Champions League knockout game.
[ad unit=2]
