Ahead of the 2022/23 season, Manchester City have rejigged their strike force with the additions of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.
The former arrives with the reputation of being one of Europe’s most feared strikers, destined to break records for years to come.
The latter is classed as one of the most gifted prospects to emerge from South America in years, capable of operating across the frontline.
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Despite lifting successive Premier League titles without a natural number nine within their ranks for a chunk of the last two seasons, City have brought in the pair to further elevate an already unstoppable outfit.
In the side’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, Haaland and Alvarez got their first taste of competitive action in sky blue.
With the ex-Borussia Dortmund superstar starting from the off, it was expected that he would set things alight instantly.
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However, things did not pan out as planned to say the least, with the 22-year-old having a debut to forget.
Perhaps the standout highlight from the Norwegian’s performance was a gilt-edged open goal miss from close quarters, which instantly became the biggest headline from the clash.
Missing yet another chance in the first-half to potentially level the scores, the youngster was far from his best against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The club’s all-time top scorer, Sergio Agüero gave his verdict on Haaland’s much-maligned outing against Liverpool.
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“He (Haaland) was so used to Germany, Haaland thought he was alone, then van Dijk arrived and said, ‘welcome to the Premier League',” he said via his Twitch channel, as translated and relayed by the Daily Mirror.
Alvarez, on the contrary, made an instant impact off the bench by scoring his first-ever goal for his new club.
Deployed on the right wing, the Argentine’s tireless pressing and energy impressed many onlookers as he seemed like an instant fit in Pep Guardiola’s side.
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Agüero, who is known to be quite pally with Alvarez went on to reveal what he told his fellow countryman about life in Manchester.
“Julian sent me a message to find out how life is in Manchester.
"I told him that he was going to be very cold!” he stated.
Spending a decade at the Etihad Stadium where he went on to cement his reputation as arguably the club’s greatest ever player, Agüero knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed in the blue side of Manchester.
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Whether it be related to adapting either on or off the pitch, Haaland and Alvarez will not have a more suitable role model to listen to than the City icon.
Topics: Manchester City, Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Sergio Aguero, Premier League
Srinivas Sadhanand