Erling Haaland has established himself as the most formidable striker in world football, and as the 2025/26 season begins, the data suggests he is elevating his game to unprecedented heights.
By his own reckoning, the Manchester City star is in the form of his life, stating, “I’ve never felt better than I do now.”
This confidence is backed by a relentless output that confirms his status as a truly generational talent.
Record-Breaking Dominance
Haaland’s start to the season is already the stuff of legend.
With nine goals in his first seven Premier League games, he is the league’s top scorer and has cemented a place among the fastest starts in the competition’s history.
His recent form for club and country has been nothing short of phenomenal, marked by a streak of 19 goals and three assists across 10 consecutive appearances, a career-best run that showcases his unwavering focus and goalscoring consistency.
Peerless Efficiency and Positioning
Opta analysis highlights that Haaland is not just scoring; he is scoring better and more efficiently than ever before. For the 2025/26 season, he is averaging a career-high 1.36 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, demonstrating that his devastating impact comes entirely from open play.
Crucially, the quality of his opportunities is also soaring. He is generating a league-leading 1.16 Expected Goals (xG) per 90, and his xG per shot (0.27) is the highest of his career, proving his superior instinct for securing the most dangerous goalscoring positions and converting chances with ruthless precision.
The Physical and Mental Force
What sets Haaland apart is his total command over the physical side of the game.
Defenders find him increasingly difficult to handle, with observers noting his “brute strength” as he routinely shrugs off challenges from multiple opponents, such as the impressive winning goal against Brentford.
For Haaland, this physicality is a source of motivation. He actively thrives on the intensity of the battle, explaining that defenders who try to get rough only provide him with “extra motivation.”
This mental fortitude ensures that physical pressure, which he experiences on nearly 70% of his touches, fails to diminish his performance or output.
A Striker Without Weakness
Haaland’s ability to score consistently across different environments further solidifies his greatness.
He has now found the back of the net at an astonishing 22 of the 23 Premier League stadia he has played at (96%), an unmatched ratio in the competition’s history, showcasing his ability to perform everywhere.
Furthermore, despite his primary role as a finisher, he contributes significantly to the team’s defensive efforts, ranking among the top centre-forwards for pressures applied, confirming his exceptional work rate and commitment to the collective effort.
Erling Haaland is a complete, evolving force. His unique blend of world-class finishing, devastating physicality, and elite mental toughness signals that his spectacular start to the 2025/26 season is just the beginning of what could be his most dominant campaign yet.
FPL Price
At writing time Haaland is priced at 14.5m, making him the most expensive player in the FPL now. His value is however justified with the Manchester City striker also ranked 1st among all FPL players in terms of points collection and form, with some 61.9% of managers selecting him as one of their players.
His next matches will see him play against Everton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
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Data source: Premier League