2 hours ago
1
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has already got a strong relationship with striker Erling Haaland.
When Gianluigi Donnarumma made the save that turned any remaining doubters into believers on Sunday, Erling Haaland was one of the first on the scene. The giant striker greeted the giant goalkeeper with a fearsome chest bump.
The Italian had pulled off a stunning save to keep out Bryan Mbeumo's volley on his Manchester City debut and Haaland wanted to show his thanks. He later suggested his man of the match award should have gone the way of the club's new No. 1.
For Donnarumma, that sums up Haaland. This might be the first time the two have been on the same team, but as two of the biggest clients of super agents Mino Raiola and Rafaela Pimenta, they have developed a friendship over the years.
The goalkeeper believes Haaland might well be the best player in the world and they will make for a devastating combination at the Etihad. Haaland took to social media to welcome Donnarumma to the club after his £26million move from Paris St-Germain and has since helped him settle in to his new surroundings.
"Aside from being a fantastic player, one of the best in the world if not the best in the world, he’s a fantastic person as well," he said. "That’s what makes him better.
"I’ve got an incredible relationship with him, he immediately welcomed me. It feels like I’ve been here for many years the way they’ve all welcomed me.
"The attitude of a team has to be that, it has to be like a family, when a teammate saves a goal you have to all celebrate as if it was a goal scored, that’s really important, we have to be united on the pitch and away from the pitch."
Donnarumma returned the favour to Haaland when the Norwegian raced through to score his second goal against Manchester United and City's third. The 26-year-old did a knee slide to celebrate the game being put beyond their rivals.
"It’s just something I do to celebrate, when you score a goal, the whole team scores a goal, so I like to celebrate like that," he said.
"Obviously, I can’t do 100 metres and go to the other side, but I like to celebrate with my fans and it gives me an extra charge."
Donnarumma produced a commanding display on his City debut and also avoided any nervous moments in possession. The focus on his signing has been on his ability with the ball at his feet, which is an area that Guardiola's side have been strong in with Ederson in goal.
Instead, their new No. 1 offered a much more nuanced assessment of how he views the risk and reward of playing out from the back.
"I always try and improve. I’m now with this coach who is one of the best in these situations, he can definitely help me a lot. We can do lots of things together and I’m sure we’ll have great success," said Donnarumma.
"You have to sniff out danger. When you’re in a tricky moment, you have to be able to read situations. There are moments you can force play and moments when it’s better to kick it long and avoid dangerous situations. You have to be good at knowing how to read the situation, when you can play you play and when you can’t you don’t."
English (US) ·