The concerning Erling Haaland trend Man City can no longer ignore

Or maybe, in a world where John Stones gets an assist at the Bernabeu with a pass on the edge of Real’s box, the future for the Norwegian lies inside his own penalty area.

That the previous player to score five or more in an FA Cup game for a top-flight team was George Best shows it was another historic achievement for the forward who, last season, became the first to chalk up a half-century of goals in a campaign for a club in the old Division 1 or its successor, the Premier League, since 1931.

Yet Haaland’s return against the Premier League’s top four and Real – arguably the five best sides he has faced this season – stands at one goal in eight games.

That City’s fixture list features a reunion with Real, perhaps a Champions League semi-final with either Bayern Munich or Arsenal, his new nemesis, becomes an examination of his record on the major stages.

He is entitled to argue that goals home and away, and hugely dominant performances, against Arsenal in his debut campaign played a sizeable role in winning the title.

Now City’s Premier League schedule features some of Haaland’s many favourite opponents: Luton, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham, West Ham.