Manchester City manager Pepe Guardiola compared top scorer Erling Haaland to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after his brace on Saturday.
Haaland continued his campaign by netting twice as the Citizens thrashed Southampton 4-1 to move within five points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The Norwegian has now scored 44 goals across all competitions and Guardiola feels his talisman is on the same level as the two superstars of the last decade.
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"As a top scorer we lived two incredible decades with Cristiano and Lionel but Erling is on that level," Guardiola said, as per the Daily Mail.
"The second goal was amazing. It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass. His talent is really good. We need him.
"The first half was not our best level but he changed the game.’
"He is very similar to Cristiano… Lionel is a more complete player, but Erling is a machine.
"The other two guys dominated for two decades, winning titles and doing so many things. Since I met him, he has had an incredibly right mindset.
"Haaland is always happy and always smiling. Messi, when he scored two goals and not three, he might frown. Erling is always in an incredible mood. He has had an incredible impact, not just on the pitch.
"I have a feeling, maybe I am wrong, that he is so happy with us. He respects me a lot. We have to take care of him. The numbers he has at his age are unbelievable."
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