Erling Haaland has dominated this World Cup, netting seven goals in his first tournament and delivering key strikes — including Norway’s opening goal, the winner in the team’s first World Cup knockout victory and a brace that sent them into the quarterfinals — according to ESPN.
ESPN reviewed Haaland’s previous meetings with the centre-backs likely to be considered by Thomas Tuchel for England’s defence to gauge how the Manchester City striker has fared in those matchups.
Against Dan Burn, Haaland’s opportunities have been noticeably curtailed. In eight meetings the Norwegian has one goal and three assists, with Burn’s height and physicality often disrupting Haaland’s runs into the box. Newcastle failed to win any of those eight fixtures, but ESPN notes Burn has generally limited Haaland to fewer clear-cut chances; Haaland’s lone goal in that series arrived in a 3-3 Premier League draw, a 61st-minute finish in which Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan also scored.
Ezri Konsa has also proved a difficult opponent. Across five meetings Haaland has one goal and one assist and has won just once, while Aston Villa have won three times and drawn once, per ESPN. Konsa’s speed, anticipation and one-on-one defending have reduced the space Haaland prefers, and Haaland’s only strike against Konsa came in a 1-1 Premier League draw in 2022.
Marc Guéhi has conceded heavily to Haaland in their meetings. ESPN records six prior encounters in which Haaland scored seven times, including a 2022 hat trick, a 2023 penalty and goals in subsequent fixtures — one scored despite City playing with 10 men and a two-goal showing in a 2025 City win.
Overall, ESPN’s review shows mixed outcomes: some English defenders have limited Haaland on occasion, while results and goal totals still often favor the City striker, reflecting his broader effectiveness in the matchups examined.
