Thierry Henry on Erling Haaland’s brace against Senegal:
“People often talk about Haaland’s strength and goals, but what impresses me most is his mentality. He plays every game with the belief that he is going to score, and defenders can feel that pressure from the very first minute.
His brace against Senegal was another reminder of why he is one of the most feared strikers in football today. The first goal was clinical, but the second showed his hunger. Even after finding the net once, he kept making runs, kept asking questions of the defence, and kept putting himself in dangerous positions.
Senegal defended with courage and discipline for large parts of the match, but against a striker like Haaland you have to be perfect for 90 minutes. The moment your concentration drops, he punishes you. That is what the elite goalscorers do.
What I also like about him is that he never looks satisfied. One goal is never enough, and tonight that mentality earned him a brilliant brace. He was relentless from start to finish and looked like the most dangerous player on the pitch whenever Norway moved forward.
Five goals already at this World Cup is an incredible return, and now the race for the Golden Boot is becoming very interesting. Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are both applying real pressure on Lionel Messi at the top. If Haaland continues performing like this, there is every chance that he finishes this tournament as its leading goalscorer.”
