Joe Hart and Josko Gvardiol react to Erling Haaland’s five-word Man City message
Joe Hart and Josko Gvardiol reacted to Erling Haaland’s message via social media following after Man City beat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola‘s side were given a mighty scare at the Etihad Stadium on 1 March, with Plymouth defender Maksym Talovierov opening the scoring in the 38th minute.
That lead did not last for long, however, as Nico O’Reilly rose highest to get on the end of a Kevin De Bruyne cross, netting the equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
The youngster netted again in the second half, adding to his first senior goal in the 8-0 thrashing of Salford City in January, with Haaland and De Bruyne combining to see the game out in the 90th minute.
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Taking to Instagram [2 March], Haaland wrote: “Through to the next round!” with a fist emoji, with club legend Hart liking the post alongside Phil Foden.
Gvardiol, who only watched on from the bench, commented: “Golf 1.9 TDI,” comparing the striker to a car in his replies.
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Football Insider verdict
City will be hoping to end the season on a high note, especially if this is to be Guardiola’s final season at Man City, and they have taken an important step towards that against Plymouth.
Despite all of his goals, notching 28 across all competitions this season, Haaland’s entrance as a substitute on Saturday seemed to be far from what the Citizens needed as he continued to miss chances.
| Erling Haaland v Plymouth Argyle | Stats, as per FotMob |
| Minutes played | 31 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 3 |
| Expected goals xG | 0.98 |
| Goals / Assists | 0 / 1 |
While two of his three shots were on target, with Conor Hazard being forced into further saves, the Norwegian star missed multiple clear-cut chances, which could have been punished at any time.
Thankfully, after seeing a shot parried in the dying embers, he chose to roll the ball across to De Bruyne for a tap-in, but it left many supporters frustrated with his lack of clinical finishing when needed most.
The 24-year-old is well-known for ballooning chances over the crossbar, but with only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah boasting more goals in the Premier League, it is impossible to keep him down.