Chris Sutton has slammed the recent criticism of one particular Manchester City player.
The Manchester club drew 0-0 against Arsenal in their latest Premier League match, failing to take a big step towards potentially regaining the title.
After Sunday’s stalemate, one figure in the City side found himself on the end of some hefty criticism as a result of his performance against the Gunners.
Now though, another pundit has weighed in on the situation and defended the under-fire City star.
Sutton dismisses criticism of Man City player
In his latest column for BBC Sport, Sutton had this to say about the recent criticism aimed at Erling Haaland, specifically on how Roy Keane likened him to a League Two player after his performance against Arsenal.
He said: “I thought some of the criticism of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland after Sunday’s draw with Arsenal was well over the top.
“It is not Haaland’s fault City did not create enough opportunities for him – it is down to players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva to make those chances.
“To compare Haaland to a League Two player, which is how Roy Keane described him on Sky, is just ridiculous.”
City paid £51m to sign the Norwegian from Borussia Dortmund during the 2022 summer transfer window.
In his debut season at the Manchester club, the 23-year-old scored 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions, breaking numerous records along the way and eventually winning three major titles.
With 33 combined appearances under his belt this season in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, Haaland has found the back of the net 29 times.
While the striker may have been disappointed that he couldn’t get his name on the scoresheet against Arsenal, who have the best defensive record in the league, we agree with Sutton that likening him to a League Two player is over the top.
Looking ahead to what could still be a very successful season for the Blues, if Haaland can get back to scoring goals on a regular basis and dismiss any doubts there may be about his ability, he’ll give his side a great chance of regaining their three titles.