Haaland's ready to light the fuse again

BLUES FRONTMAN POISED TO PROVE FIREWORKS OF FIRST SEASON WERE NO FLASH IN THE PAN

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

FIREWORKS greeted Manchester City's first goal of preseason and Erling Haaland put the Premier League on notice to expect more explosive finishing from the record scorer.

Haaland terrorised the top flight in his first season in English football, smashing in a new high of 36 league goals and 52 in all competitions to redefine elite finishing in the division. And despite some desperate attempts to paint one goal from his final eight appearances as a potential issue for the future, the Norwegian needed just three touches to score against Yokohama F Marinos to show that his killer touch in front of goal has not gone anywhere.

That goal completed a 15-minute City turnaround in Tokyo, seeing them take the lead for the first time in this friendly seven minutes after the break having trailed 2-0 shortly before half-time. Results don't matter at this time of the year, but it is always nice to win.

Friendly matches can still produce real consequences, and while Pep Guardiola can accept the three goals conceded as an understandable sign of rustiness there was still plenty of room for improvement. An impressive Japanese side who were much fitter owing to them being in the middle of their season found ways to expose the City back line that will have to be closed by the time the Premier League begins again.