Haaland elated after ‘perfect’ Premier League return

Our number nine dinked us ahead after 18 minutes, with Mateo Kovacic blasting in a superb second shortly before full-time to secure the three points.

Haaland latched onto Doku’s pass via Bernardo Silva’s deft touch, before shrugging off Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella and expertly finishing beyond Robert Sanchez.

The Norwegian was impressed with his goal, which was his 91st in 100 City appearances, and also with the victory.

“It’s three points and a perfect start. First game is always hard for everyone, it doesn’t matter if you have a pre-season or not.

“I actually had a long pre-season so that’s good. I don’t actually feel perfect because I’m not in the perfect shape, but yeah it’s good to start and to win.

“I don’t know if you remember last year, Sanchez had a great save on me, because he always stays a lot on the line, that’s why I took a few extra touches,” he said.

“Then he’s rushing out and I knew exactly what to do. I think it was a really good goal. I remember his save for the last year, it’s been irritating me for a long time.

“So that’s why I took a couple of extra touches. It was a perfect goal. It was a nice goal.

“This is what Pep says to us every day. The best players are the best on the easiest things. Touch with your right and pass with your left. This is an important thing. He says this to me a lot.”

The striker had a total of only 17 touches of the ball at Stamford Bridge, but reiterated that his sole focus is to help the team in whatever way the manager sees fit.

“I think in the end, what I want to do is to help the team and to make the team work and to get the other players in better positions.

“To get an extra metre for Bernardo and if I can stretch the centre backs one metre then I will do it with a run. It’s hard but it’s my job and that’s what I’m doing.

“When you see today, all the defenders how good they played, through the midfielders, Pep won’t like me for saying this, but they don’t need me! I can just stand there and watch!

Of course I want to get more involved, that’s what Pep wants. But in a game like this, do I need to be more involved? I don’t know. This is the million dollar question. Of course I want to improve as an overall player with the ball. I want to give more assists back to the players that give me assists.

“I want to become an overall better footballer, like a player, not in terms of goals or anything, just a player.”