<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/manchester-city" target="_blank">Manchester City</a> manager Pep Guardiola said striker Erling Haaland is of the same calibre as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/lionel-messi-surpassed-the-100-goals-mark-in-argentinas-win-over-curacao-1204558.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> after the Norwegian international scored twice in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League victory at Southampton.</p>.<p>Haaland scored on a header and remarkable bicycle kick, taking his tally to 44 goals in all competitions this season, with 30 of those coming in the Premier League.</p>.<p>His total is now tied for the most ever by a Premier League player in all competitions in a single campaign, equalling Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 and Mohamed Salah in 2017-18.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/chukwueze-helps-villarreal-stun-real-madrid-sociedad-dig-in-1207982.html" target="_blank">Chukwueze helps Villarreal stun Real Madrid, Sociedad dig in</a></strong></p>.<p>"We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level," Guardiola told the <em>BBC</em> on Saturday. Guardiola was in awe of Haaland's execution of his second goal, which he acrobatically volleyed home off a cross from Jack Grealish.</p>.<p>"It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass," Guardiola said. "You can't imagine at his height he has this ability. Exceptional goal."</p>.<p>The 22-year-old, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund, is now four short of the record of 34 goals in a Premier League season set by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.</p>.<p>City are second in the league with 67 points after 29 games, five behind leaders Arsenal. (Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/manchester-city" target="_blank">Manchester City</a> manager Pep Guardiola said striker Erling Haaland is of the same calibre as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/lionel-messi-surpassed-the-100-goals-mark-in-argentinas-win-over-curacao-1204558.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> after the Norwegian international scored twice in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League victory at Southampton.</p>.<p>Haaland scored on a header and remarkable bicycle kick, taking his tally to 44 goals in all competitions this season, with 30 of those coming in the Premier League.</p>.<p>His total is now tied for the most ever by a Premier League player in all competitions in a single campaign, equalling Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 and Mohamed Salah in 2017-18.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/chukwueze-helps-villarreal-stun-real-madrid-sociedad-dig-in-1207982.html" target="_blank">Chukwueze helps Villarreal stun Real Madrid, Sociedad dig in</a></strong></p>.<p>"We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level," Guardiola told the <em>BBC</em> on Saturday. Guardiola was in awe of Haaland's execution of his second goal, which he acrobatically volleyed home off a cross from Jack Grealish.</p>.<p>"It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass," Guardiola said. "You can't imagine at his height he has this ability. Exceptional goal."</p>.<p>The 22-year-old, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund, is now four short of the record of 34 goals in a Premier League season set by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.</p>.<p>City are second in the league with 67 points after 29 games, five behind leaders Arsenal. (Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru.</p>