Erling Haaland paid tribute to Manchester City supporters after the team secured a 3-0 Premier League victory over Liverpool at Anfield. The win extended City's perfect start to the season and moved them further clear of second-placed Arsenal.
City overcome hostile atmosphere
It was City's first match since the charges verdict, and the home crowd directed jeers and chants of 'cheats' at the visitors throughout the game. After a balanced first half, the match turned when Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Shortly after, Haaland opened the scoring with a fierce strike, and Jeremy Doku doubled the lead with a curling effort. Rayan Cherki then sealed the win, slotting the ball underneath Alisson following a team build-up.
Haaland's tribute to the fans
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Haaland said: "Every single person part of Man City, and every fan, this is a lovely moment that will stay with us for a long time. It was tough, it was hard but we showed amazing character from back to front. So proud of everyone."
He added: "It's always tough to come here, if you look at the record it's tough. With the Pep [Guardiola] and [Jurgen] Klopp era it was tough for both teams, always has been. [It is] important to stay strong mentally, stick together and do what you can do something about and the thing we can do something about is to play good football and fight together. That's the only thing we can do."
A family moment in the stands
After Haaland's goal, TV cameras showed his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, celebrating in the away end. Asked if he had seen him, the striker said: "I didn't see him [his dad], I was looking for him. It looked like they had the time of their lives to be honest, like last year. I think he enjoyed himself so I'll send him a message now."
Haaland concluded: "This was a mental battle, never easy coming back from internationals. [I am] proud that we managed to stick together, we are mentally strong. Plenty of games coming up, so time to recover and go again."
