philblackman

🚨Erling Haaland on Bart Verbruggen performance against Manchester City during Brighton’s 1-0 victory: 🗣️ Erling Haaland: “Honestly, he was unbelievable today. I have to give him credit because that was one of the most frustrating performances I’ve come up against from a goalkeeper. We created chances, we got into dangerous positions, and every time we thought we were about to score, he was there. “I went to him after the full-time whistle and gave him a handshake. I wanted to congratulate him personally because when a goalkeeper performs at that level against you, you have to show respect. He absolutely deserved it. “I’m not going to lie, there were moments when I was standing there wondering what else we needed to do to get the ball past him. I had chances, my teammates had chances, and he kept finding a way to stop us. Low shots, close-range attempts, powerful strikes he dealt with everything. “There was one save in particular where I genuinely thought the ball was going in. I had already started thinking about celebrating, and suddenly he’s down there with his hand on the ball. I looked at him and just laughed because what else can you do? “That’s what makes a goalkeeper special. It’s not just about making saves; it’s about giving your entire team confidence. You could see Brighton growing into the game because they knew they had someone behind them who was going to keep them in it. “And what impressed me even more was his composure. He wasn’t panicking, he wasn’t making unnecessary movements, and he wasn’t trying to show off. He was just doing his job. Every time we put pressure on Brighton, he looked calm. “People will probably talk about Brighton’s goal and how they managed to beat us, but I think Bart deserves a lot of the attention today. Winning 1-0 against Manchester City is not easy, especially when you have to defend for long periods and deal with the kind of attacking quality we have. “He was like a wall! [laughs] Honestly, I don’t know how many times we tested him, but he kept giving us the same answer. “I also respect the fact that he didn’t spend the entire game shouting or trying to get into our heads. He was surprisingly quiet. He let his performances do the talking, and sometimes that’s the loudest statement you can make. “I’m sure there will be plenty of people talking about him after this game. He’s still young, he’s got tremendous potential, and if he keeps developing at this rate, he’s going to become one of the best goalkeepers around. “Today, he won his battle against us. I don’t enjoy losing, obviously, but I can recognise a brilliant performance when I see one. “Next time I come up against him, I’ll be hoping for a different story. But today? He deserves every bit of praise he’s going to receive. What a goalkeeper!”