<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1muApG_0vKXk02O00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1muApG_0vKXk02O00" width="1210" height="806" ></figure>Four games down, and it’s so far, so good for Manchester City.Three wins in the Premier League and a penalty shootout success in the Community Shield has represented the best start they could’ve possibly hoped for - all of which came without Rodri as he recovers from an injury sustained in the Euro 2024 final.And it’s all the more impressive when taking into account that after the last European Championships and Copa America summer in 2021 they lost the Community Shield and their opening Premier League match of the season and struggled a lot without Rodri as recently as last season.And that is largely due to the early season form of City’s attackers, namely Erling Haaland.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4VsRT7_0vKXk02O00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4VsRT7_0vKXk02O00" width="1920" height="1280" >The 24 year old has scored seven goals in the Premier League so far this season, including two hat tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United and a catalogue of brilliantly taken goals already.Haaland looks to have made an improvement in his all round game as well, with a clip of him and Ilkay Gundogan interchanging in tight spaces on the edge of the box against Ipswich going viral on social media.His improvement has been fairly notable ever since Roy Keane dubbed him as having the technical ability of a League 2 player after City’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal in March, as he has found a way of best utilising his already existing strengths.Haaland uses his frame to pin defenders and play with his back to goal, with his footwork in tight spaces and overall comfort on the ball vastly improving in the last two years.But last season, this often wasn’t enough in big games, with City’s and Haaland’s record against other big six sides significantly weaker than when they won the treble.This year, however, there seems to be a new energy in attack for City, which is provided mostly by the new right hand side link up between Rico Lewis and new boy Savinho.Lewis has been like a player reborn this year, showing a huge improvement in his overall defensive game whilst also increasing his capabilities as a footballer to make him one of the most complete players in the world at the moment.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0F4bpZ_0vKXk02O00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0F4bpZ_0vKXk02O00" width="1920" height="1280" >The 19 year old has often found himself inverting from right back into central attacking midfield positions, where his eye for a pass and his brilliant ability in small spaces makes him one of City’s best creative players at this point in time.Savinho, meanwhile, has had a very good start to life so far for City, but missed the second half of the Chelsea game with a knee injury, which re-occurred in training last week to mean he missed the trip to the London Stadium on Saturday.Like Lewis, Savinho provides positivity and energy on City’s right hand side. He offers a wide threat, meaning he is comfortable receiving the ball on the touchline and beating his man on both the outside and the inside.The way he controls the ball and moves is highly reminiscent of Riyad Mahrez, which, along with the re-signing of Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona, brings back the feel good factor of City’s treble winning squad of 2023.There is high competition for places on the other side too between Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish, both of whom bring different positives and negatives and can stake an equally strong claim to start.Doku provides much more individual threat from the flank and can change a game with his acceleration against tired defenders, but Grealish raises the performances of those around him and is perhaps more suited to playing possession based football than Doku.Kevin de Bruyne seems to have found some early season form as well; he played very well against West Ham. having the most touches out of anyone in the first half and constantly looking to carve out a chance.And all this early season form has come without last season’s PFA Player of the Season Phil Foden for the most part, with just 45 minutes against Chelsea before illness ruled him out of the last two matches.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0g6AzV_0vKXk02O00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0g6AzV_0vKXk02O00" width="1920" height="1339" >Competition for places is high up front. You would expect Haaland, De Bruyne and probably a fully fit Foden to occupy three of those places, but Grealish, Doku, Gundogan, Kovacic, Savinho, Bobb and Bernardo to compete for the other two places, with James McAtee and Matheus Nunes options for those positions too.This is arguably the best state Pep Guardiola’s squad has ever been in, which means the vast majority of fans are extremely excited to see what City have in store for the upcoming season, with hopes for a fifth Premier League title and perhaps another UEFA Champions League title on top.</div></body>

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Erling Haaland and Manchester City look like a greater goal scoring threat than last season

Four games down, and it’s so far, so good for Manchester City. Three wins in the Premier League and a penalty shootout success in the Community Shield has represented the best start they could’ve possibly hoped for - all of which came without Rodri as he recovers from an injury sustained in the Euro 2024 final.

Erling Haaland and Manchester City look like a greater goal scoring threat than last season

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