Gary Lineker believes another forward in the Premier League has had a better season than Erling Haaland.
Erling Haaland ended the season as the league’s top goalscorer with 27 goals in just 29 starts for Manchester City.
If City’s number nine had not suffered a significant injury, he could have surpassed his own goalscoring tally in one campaign of 36 league goals last season.
Lineker says one player has been better than Haaland this season
Several forwards in the Premier League have had excellent seasons.
Cole Palmer ended the campaign with 22 goals in what has been one of the best breakthrough seasons from a young player in recent memory.
Alexander Isak has also had a terrific campaign, registering 21 goals while Dominic Solanke has also been excellent for Bournemouth, bagging 19 goals in the league.
According to Gary Lineker, Ollie Watkins has had a superior season to Erling Haaland.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he said: “I’ve gone with [Ollie] Watkins over [Erling] Haaland. If I had to pick a team to play tomorrow, I’d put Haaland in but I just think this season, Ollie Watkins has been extraordinary, I think Haaland’s been missing a little bit.”
“I know he scored a few more goals but goal combinations between them is 32, Haaland and what I’ll say is Watkins has done it for Aston Villa and Haaland has done it for Manchester City.”
Lineker added: “I just think Ollie Watkins this season, for what he’s achieved and what he’s done and his consistency, the amount he’s played, his effort, his work rate, his all-round game, I’m edging him ahead of Haaland.”
Aston Villa’s £28 million (Sky Sports) man has had a season to remember, scoring 19 goals and ending up with the most assists in the league (13).
The debate is a valid one
In our view, it is perhaps not as easy as Gary Lineker made it seem to pick Ollie Watkins over Erling Haaland this season.
Both strikers have been phenomenal for their respective teams.
Haaland deserves a lot of credit for scoring as many as 27 goals while leading City to a historic fourth league title in a row.
But Watkins also spearheaded Villa’s qualification to the Champions League.
With both Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins helping their teams make history, in our view, Gary Lineker should pick them both in a Premier League Team of the Season.