Erling Haaland compared Brentford’s tactics to Tony Pulis’ infamously direct Stoke City side after scoring the winner in a hugely physical contest.
Haaland’s first-half strike was enough for Pep Guardiola’s men to edge past Keith Andrews’ side in a bruising encounter and the Norwegian spoke to Sky Sports about how he found the battle afterwards.
He said: ‘It was a tough game, and reminded me of Stoke City with Rory Delap 15 years ago!
‘They are huge and do throw-ins from the middle so of course it is not easy but it is about preparing for what is going to come and analysing well and we did. The backroom staff did their job really well. All praise to them.
‘A low block is not easy – five people around us at all times. It is why it is not easy and why it feels even better.’
Rory Delap’s long throw-ins were a staple of Stoke’s play under Tony Pulis from promotion out of the Championship in 2008 and then the next few years in the top flight.
David Moyes described them as ‘like a human sling, while Sam Allardyce called the tactic ‘the best Scud missile I have ever seen’.
Chelsea boss Luis Felipe Scolari at the time admitted: ‘I have never seen anything like this in my life.’
Delap’s throws could measure 40 metres and even reach 50mph at times.
In total, Delap’s long throws directly led to 24 goals for Stoke City in the Premier League and another eight in the Championship.
Long throw-ins have come back into fashion in the Premier League this season and Brentford are another exponent of the strategy.
But Haaland and City were able to defend their box well and the striker’s goal claimed three precious points.
Haaland is on red hot goalscoring form this season, with nine in seven Premier League matches and 12 in all competitions.
He explained: ‘I have never felt better than I do now.
‘It is about preparation, getting ready for the games. You can be physically ready but you need to be mentally ready.
‘With a kid it makes me even better because I disconnect more than ever – I don’t think about football at all.
‘When you are young you think of this and that and maybe worry about things but when I get home I relax even more. I think I need to give a shout-out to my son.’
When asked specifically about his goal and the raw power he used to brush aside Sepp van den Berg, Haaland was pleased with his work.
He added: ‘This for me this goal is top. This was one of my better goals for me because of the whole thing.’
On his physical tussle with the centre-back, he said: ‘First five minutes he kept on pushing me so I was thinking alright, let’s have it!
‘So I started pushing him back and for me this is a proper goal. I think the physical battle helps me because to be honest I was a bit tired before the game, thinking that it would be tough but after 10 seconds he starts pushing me and it motivates me, all praise to him honestly, he made me want to do that.’
‘There is always space even in a low block, look at Monaco, the timing of the goal (in midweek), there wasn’t a lot of space but I found the run, so I like when people come like this against us as well.
‘Low block is not easy and today was not easy as well with three big centre backs and five people around us at all times, that’s why it feels even better.’
City’s win moves them to fifth, just three points behind Arsenal on top heading into the international break.
When they return to action, Haaland and Co will face David Moyes Everton where they will anticipate another severe physical test at the Etihad.
