Manchester City striker Erling Haaland said “it is good to be back” after he scored to help his side to victory against Nottingham Forest.
The Norwegian striker missed City’s midweek success at Brighton in the league and the FA Cup semi-final win against Chelsea last week because of a muscle injury.
But when he calmly took the ball around a defender and slotted into the left corner nine minutes after coming on as a substitute at the City Ground on Sunday, nerves were settled and the 2-0 win was soon sealed after what had been an uncomfortable afternoon for last year’s Treble winners.
Victory meant City returned to being one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
City have been without their talisman forward for a number of games this term and Haaland has struggled at times to find the scoring consistency that in 2022-23 saw him break the record for the most Premier League goals scored in a season – with 36 in 35 appearances.
But could Haaland “be the difference” as City push for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title?