ERLING HAALAND may have 18 Premier League goals this season already, but he could almost certainly have more.
The Norwegian powerhouse has missed more big chances than any other player in the league this season.
Despite a reputation for being a clinical machine when he’s in front of goal, this season’s stats would suggest Haaland is instead missing huge opportunities more than anyone else.
The Man City bagsman has missed an incredible 26 BIG CHANCES this season, averaging out at more than one big chance missed per game.
He tops the list by some way too with player’s who have reputations for missing clear-cut opportunities significantly further behind him.
Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who was teased for “tackling himself” when through on goal against Brentford, has missed 15 big chances this season – 11 fewer than Haaland.
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Jackson has struggled to consistently find form at Stamford Bridge this season and got the ball caught under his feet while attempting some step-overs during the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Brentford.
While Darwin Nunez, who is often criticised for wasting opportunities, has missed five fewer big chances than Haaland this season while playing three more matches than the 23-year-old.
Haaland showed the frustrating side of his game against Man Utd at the weekend when he missed a golden opportunity for City from just three yards out.
The astonishing miss was so poor that Gary Lineker even described it as “the worst miss I’ve ever seen at this level”.
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Although he did manage to find the back of the net from a much trickier position later in the game to seal all three points in the Manchester Derby.
And perhaps it’s worth noting that players who are often putting themselves in goal scoring positions are more likely to miss more of those chances.
For example Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is the league’s second highest goal scorer this season with 16 goals in his 27 appearances for the Villans.
But despite being in red hot form in front of goal, Watkins has missed the third most big chances in the division with 18 major opportunities scuppered.
Alexander Isak, Rasmus Hojlund and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all also missed 12 big chances while Bournemouth talisman Dominic Solanke has seen 10 opportunities pass him by.
Haaland’s high volume chances are actually the reason he is such an effective striker and although he has missed a huge number of big chances, his ability to find the back of the net on a weekly basis is what makes him unstoppable.
Even City boss Pep Guardiola has said he doesn’t mind if Haaland misses the target as long as he can shake it off and go again – something he always manages to do.
Speaking after Haaland’s horror miss on Sunday, Guardiola said: “He was disappointed, I was disappointed. I want him to score four or five goals every game like he did at Luton, but I don’t care.
“The great players I met and was a manager for have this incredible ability to forget in an instant.
“He can miss this one and be sad for 10 seconds and miss five more and be sad for 10 seconds more. But after that, erase it and onto the next one.
“It’s painful – it has to be – but they forget it as quick as possible. Everyone misses but when they miss, smile, be positive and go for the next. That defines the great players and he did it.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
