Last weekend’s dramatic 95th minute penalty winner against Fulham made it 18 Premier League goals and 23 in total since Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
That remarkable return has already seen the 22-year-old rewrite the record books this term.
And, ahead of Saturday’s latest Premier League game at home to Brentford, which will be our final match ahead of the break for the World Cup finals, admiring team-mate Rodri described Haaland as a goalscoring ‘beast’ and a striker he believes is destined to go on to make goal-scoring history.
CITY+ | SIGN UP TO ACCESS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
“He was born for this, scoring goals and he is going to break all of the records for sure,” was Rodrigo’s verdict on the Norwegian’s incendiary City impact.
“I think he has changed everything. He changed the fact that this kind of player makes a difference in every single game.
“He has had a huge impact in the team and he is a beast.
“I am very grateful that he chose to come to us.
“He has changed the game we are used to, but it is great for us. He is a great lad and he will continue to improve.”
In the three and half years since he moved to City from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019, Rodrigo’s own impact on City has been equally eye-catching.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFFICIAL MAN CITY PODCAST
Having succeeded Fernandinho in the pivotal holding midfield role at the Club, the 26-year-old has established himself as one of the finest exponents of the position playing in world football.
And Rodri – who earlier on Friday was named in Spain’s 2022 World Cup finals squad along with Aymeric Laporte – credits City manager Pep Guardiola with helping nurture both his development and maturity as a player.
“He makes me a different player, a top player in the sense of my knowledge of the game, how I have to behave, the role in the team, some aspects that are important in the game,” Rodrigo said of the City manager’s impact on him.
“I am very happy for this and very thankful for this situation. He is one of the best and the one thing that most impresses me is that he has won everything.
“He is still hungry every day, he is demanding every day, doesn’t relax and that is something that is impressive.
“It is four years I have been with him, and I have had good coaches in the past. It seems normal to me now to have him, but of course it is not normal.
“For sure, he makes history wherever he goes, Barcelona, Bayern and of course here. He has changed the game I think since he came here.”
