Haaland penalty poise gives City yet another edge

Premier League: Manchester City 4 Wolves 1

A season defined by penalties - at least as far as their European exit was concerned - featured two more against Wolves as Erling Haaland’s mastery of the art saw City edge a step closer to another date with history.

In English football’s 135-year history, no team has ever won four consecutive league titles. Thanks to this embarrassingly comfortable victory, Pep Guardiola now stands three victories away from precisely that.

That penalty shoot-out defeat in the Champions League quarters to Real Madrid last month now seem like a bad memory although, as City count the cost of that defeat, it is worth bearing in mind that Haaland missed the post-match drama, having been substituted.

Why? Because, quite simply, Haaland has answered one of the few shortcomings Guardiola’s team has displayed in his seven full seasons in charge at the Etihad.

Haaland scored twice from the spot against Wolves - to add to a brilliant header and thumping shot - taking his penalty tally for the season to eight out of nine; exactly the ratio he finished with last season.

It leaves Haaland’s 16 out of 18 conversion rate at nearly 89% which, considering Guardiola had seen his team miss a staggering 27 penalties in the seven seasons before this, must offer him some serious comfort over the final three games of the campaign.

“Having mental strength is a skill as well,” said Guardiola. “And the people say ‘ooh the penalty shooting is down to luck.’ No it’s not.

“if you are a good taker you have a better chance, if you are a good keeper you have a better chance and Erling is, of course, going to miss penalties but everyone know he is a good taker. He thinks I am going to take a penalty, I am going to score. It’s