ErlingHaaland

Erling Haaland leads the Norway attack, and the numbers around him there are unusual: sixty-two goals in fifty-four caps. That return shapes how his country sets up, because a striker converting at that rate changes what a national team can attempt. He is Norway's reference point in the final third, the player opponents plan around and the one teammates look for when a game needs deciding.

At Manchester City, the striker's role is narrower and sharper. One hundred and thirty-four appearances have produced one hundred and fourteen goals, a return that makes him the fixed point of the champions' forward line. He occupies centre-backs, finishes moves early and lets the team play with a recognised No 9 rather than a rotating front three. City's Premier League campaign depends on that penalty-area presence staying available.