As both sides prepare for our first competitive matches of 2024, City find ourselves in the midst of two rapidly developing title races in the Premier League and Barclays Women’s Super League.
And the incredible form of both Haaland and Shaw has gone a long way towards both Pep Guardiola’s and Gareth Taylor’s sides’ hunt for silverware.
With 14 goals in just 15 matches, Haaland finds himself joint-top of the Premier League scoring charts, while Shaw’s haul of nine strikes in as many appearances has her on course for the golden boot.
Our Norwegian number nine is also the joint-leading marksman in the UEFA Champions League so far with five goals, while Shaw’s strike against Everton in the Continental Cup completes her tally in all competitions.
In short, City boast two of the most devastating centre-forwards in world football, with some of their incredible numbers so far for 2023/24 broken down below…
Clinical edge
While both more than capable of the spectacular, Haaland and Shaw’s goalscoring records share a certain symmetry.
Indeed, 17 of the Norwegian’s 19 strikes so far in 2023/24 have come inside the box, with the exceptions being his goal in the Premier League against Brighton and his second against Young Boys in the Champions League.
It’s a similar story for Shaw, with eight of her ten goals within 18 yards of the opposition net.
The Jamaican’s two efforts from distance came against Manchester United at Old Trafford and her second en route to a hat-trick against Everton, both in the WSL.
But getting yourself in the right position is only half the battle, and both forwards’ clinical nature is demonstrated once again when looking at how swiftly the chance itself is converted.
Incredibly, 13 of Haaland’s 19 goals have been scored with his first touch while, for Shaw, that metric stands at seven of her ten strikes.
League focus
Unsurprisingly, the majority of Haaland and Shaw’s strikes in 2023/24 have come in the league, with both sitting top of their respective scoring charts.
Haaland has found the net 14 times in his 15 Premier League games so far, at an astonishing rate of 0.97 per appearance at present.
That roughly equates to the Norwegian scoring every 92 minutes in the English top flight, with him also finding the target in an impressive 63% of his 49 efforts on goal in 2023/24.
For Shaw, those metrics are even more impressive, with the Jamaican finding the net nine times in as many matches in the WSL.
Her ratio currently stands at a goal every 74 minutes she’s played in the league, with a shot accuracy of 58% from her 31 efforts this season.
Doubling up
In December 2023, Shaw became the first player to score three WSL hat-tricks in a calendar year, grabbing a treble in a 4-1 win over Everton at Walton Hall Park.
It continued an impressive trend for the Jamaican, who has found the net on more than one occasion in a game in three of her five goalscoring appearances this season.
Her other hat-trick in 2023/24 came in a devastating performance against Tottenham Hotspur in November, when three strikes in 38 first half minutes helped City to a 7-0 triumph.
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Shaw also grabbed a double against Bristol City at the Joie Stadium in October, with her goals against Everton in the Continental Cup and against Manchester United completing her current tally for 2023/24.
Not to be outdone, there have already been six different occasions so far this season where Haaland has scored more than once in a match.
The Norwegian began the campaign with a brace against Burnley, with additional doubles against Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as a hat-trick against Fulham following soon after in the Premier League.
He also grabbed back-to-back Champions League doubles against Young Boys as City’s defence of Europe’s elite competition continued apace.
Scorer turned provider
While both Haaland and Shaw’s goalscoring numbers deserve to be celebrated, their individual form doesn’t come at the expense of the team. Both forwards are huge team players.
For Haaland, only Mohamed Salah (22) has a better combined goals and assists record in the Premier League this season compared to his 18, though our number nine has played five fewer matches than the Egyptian.
A prime example of the Norwegian’s eye on the collective came in our 3-0 Manchester derby win back in November, when Haaland, on for a hat-trick, opted to square the ball for Phil Foden to complete the scoring despite having a clear sight of goal himself.
Meanwhile, Shaw’s total of 11 goal involvements, which includes nine strikes and two assists, is three greater than any other player in the WSL.
Only Mary Fowler (four) has set up her team-mates with more regularity than the Jamaican this season in all competitions, with the forward’s tally of three assists equal to Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood, Jill Roord and Chloe Kelly.
In all competitions, both forwards boast more goal involvements than appearances, with Haaland’s tally standing at 24 g/a in 22 matches, and Shaw’s at 13 in 10.
Aerial threat
While both possess incredible technical ability, physical and aerial prowess are major weapons for Haaland and Shaw.
It therefore comes as no surprise that both lead the way in terms of headed goals across their respective leagues in 2023/24.
For Shaw, her tally of five headed goals so far this season is two greater than any of her WSL counterparts, with team-mate Roord and Brighton’s Elisabeth Terland her closest rivals (three apiece).
Similarly, Haaland has found the net with three headers so far in the current Premier League campaign, meaning he sits top of this particular chart alongside West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood.
City are famed for our free-flowing, possession-based attacking football but, with Haaland and Shaw leading the line, we’re just as dangerous in aerial situations.
