Pat Nevin has claimed that Manchester City have a player who scored a similar goal against Wolves recently to Ruud Gullit at the 1988 European Championship final against USSR.
The Netherlands famously won the tournament, with Gullit playing a major role in their success.
The retired Dutchman, who often played behind the number nine was a scorer of great goals.
For any City player to be compared to him in any capacity would be a huge honour for them.
Ruud Gullit is unmistakably one of the best players to have ever graced the game.
The 61-year-old most notably won the Ballon d’Or in 1987.
Pat Nevin says City star did something Gullit-esque against Wolves
Whether it be at PSV AC Milan or Chelsea, Ruud Gullit was a force to be reckoned with.
Regardless of whether Gullit played as a forward, behind the number nine or in defence.
The player in question who Pat Nevin likened to Ruud Gullit was Erling Haaland as he felt his header against Wolves was similar to the goal the Dutch icon scored against the USSR at the 1988 Euros.
Pat Nevin initially wrote in his BBC Football Extra newsletter (7:01 pm, May 6, 2024): “Arsenal and Man City continued toe-to-toe at the weekend with neither Bournemouth nor Wolves landing a serious blow on either. Arsenal may be ahead on points, but City are still favourites, particularly with Erling Haaland back to his best.
Nevin continued to praise the £51 million man: “He got to look special because of his own early goal. Wolves were then tempted out of their defensive shape, and unusually for a Premier League game at the Etihad, Haaland had acres of space to run into behind the opposition defence. The Norwegian can cut a forlorn figure with nine defenders packed around him in the 18-yard box, but his 12th-minute penalty opened the game up.
“His fourth goal was an archetypal pre-City Haaland goal, powering at and beyond opponents effortlessly. Is there a defender in the world that could go one to one with him and regularly come out on top without help from a gang of team-mates? Maybe Antonio Rudiger at a push but it is a posse, not a player that is needed in these situations.
Pat Nevin believes the way Erling Haaland leapt to head the ball in against Wolves was just as iconic as when Ruud Gullit did so but from around six yards out against USSR.
“Haaland’s headed goal was as iconic as Ruud Gullit’s famous bullet against the USSR in 1988. If Haaland has added that world-class string to an already multi-wired bow, he actually can improve. This is scary and also the main reason City look very unlikely to slip up from here on in.
“The only sadness was that it outshone Phil Foden being voted the football writers’ Player of the Year and the return of the genius David Silva to say goodbye to the Etihad, he didn’t get a chance when he departed the club during COVID.
“But that’s what the best strikers do, they grab the limelight.
Erling Haaland arguably scored a better header than Ruud Gullit
In our view, where one has to disagree with Pat Nevin is regarding the quality of header Erling Haaland scored in comparison to Ruud Gullit.
Gullit’s header was from quite close to the goal, even if his leap and finish were tremendous.
Haaland’s was from a more difficult angle as he headed the ball from near the far post and it flew into the opposite corner of the net.
Erling Haaland also had to leap higher than Ruud Gullit to be able to head the ball into the back of the net.
Ruud Gullit’s goal might be more iconic due to the final of the Euros being far more important than a standalone Premier League game.
But in terms of the quality of both goals, Haaland might have the edge in this instance.