More rounded than Isak & Haaland: Man City must rue losing 'world's best CF'
Manchester City enter the 2025/26 season in transition.
After a challenging 2024/25 campaign that saw Pep Guardiola’s side finish third – 13 points behind champions Liverpool – the Etihad dressing room has experienced significant change.
Key figures including Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and İlkay Gündoğan departed, leaving gaps both on and off the pitch.
To counter this, City acted quickly and decisively in the transfer market.
James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived in goal, while reinforcements Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki all added depth outfield.
However, much of this summer’s wider transfer news has undoubtedly revolved around Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool.
Now, all eyes will be on Erling Haaland to see if he can match his Scandinavian counterpart.
After the international break, City prepare to host Manchester United before a trip to Arsenal. Two matches that will test Guardiola’s revamped squad.
Comparing Isak & Haaland
Isak, now at Liverpool following his British-record £125m transfer, leaves behind a remarkable – yet somewhat controversial – Newcastle legacy.
In 86 Premier League appearances, the 25-year-old scored 54 goals and registered ten assists.
Standing 1.92m, Isak is a modern striker who blends physical presence with pace, skill, and composure.
He scores with both feet, links up effectively with teammates, and moves intelligently in the attacking third to create space for others.
His versatility allows him to operate as a lone striker, part of a two-man setup, or even on the wing, while his work rate and defensive awareness make him a complete attacking contributor.
Haaland, Manchester City’s record-breaking forward since his 2022 arrival from Dortmund, shares some of these traits.
At 25 and 1.95m, the Norwegian has scored 88 Premier League goals with 17 assists in 100 appearances.
His record includes the most goals in a Premier League season (36 in 2022/23) and 42 goals in 43 games for Norway.
Haaland is a complete centre forward, using his strength, pace, and clever movement to score with either foot or his head. While he is effective at holding up the ball, concerns remain about his technical ability to link play.
Nonetheless, both strikers deliver elite statistical output.
Matches Played
34
31
Goals
23
22
Assists
6
3
Shots
95
104
Shots on Target
41
55
In 2024/25, Isak recorded 29 goal involvements, 17.2 non-penalty expected goals, 19 non-penalty goals, 2.71 progressive carries per 90, and 2.88 progressive passes per 90.
Haaland produced 25 goal involvements, 18.8 non-penalty expected goals, 19 non-penalty goals, 0.79 progressive carries per 90, and 0.66 progressive passes per 90.
Their differences reflect style: Isak’s mobility and link-up play contrasts with Haaland’s dominant presence and finishing efficiency.
Both have been pivotal in modern Premier League systems, but the question remains whether other forwards elsewhere can offer more versatility than the pair, particularly in linking play and contributing across the front line.
How Julian Alvarez compares to Isak & Haaland
One forward who has demonstrated that versatility is just as important as raw scoring is Julian Alvarez.
The Argentine left Manchester City in search of regular first-team football, joining Atlético Madrid, and has thrived since.
Last season, he scored 29 goals and registered seven assists in all competitions, drawing praise from Argentine journalist Roy Nemer, who called him “the best forward in the world.”
Alvarez, 25, combines pace, strength, and composure, like Isak and Haaland, but offers additional dimensions. He can drop deep to link play, manoeuvre in tight spaces, and use his vision to create opportunities for teammates.
His dribbling and one-touch passing make him effective across the front line, while his tenacity off the ball enhances pressing and counter-pressing phases.
Statistically, Alvarez compares impressively with Isak and Haaland, as per FBref. Last season, he recorded 21 goal involvements, 13 non-penalty goals, 2.83 progressive carries per 90, and 3.30 progressive passes per 90.
His shot-creating actions per 90 (3.87) exceeded both Isak (3.01) and Haaland (2.34), while his progressive passing distance (95.1) highlighted his ability to link midfield and attack.
He also completed 25.7 passes per 90 at 74.2% accuracy, combining creative contribution with finishing. Unlike Isak and Haaland, Alvarez thrives in multiple attacking roles.
He can operate in a two-striker system, drop into the midfield to orchestrate play, or act as a wide forward capable of cutting inside.
This adaptability has helped him shine at Atlético Madrid and with Argentina, where he has scored 13 goals in 47 appearances.
In many ways, Alvarez illustrates the evolving profile of elite forwards: one who is not only a finisher but also a team player, capable of creating, linking, and defending.
While Isak’s and Haaland’s output in the Premier League has been exceptional, Alvarez offers a reminder that versatility and movement can sometimes be as valuable as raw goalscoring.
Isak can do the one thing for Liverpool that Haaland never did at Man City
The Swede could already hand the Reds one key advantage.
ByTom Cunningham Sep 2, 2025