Darwin/Haaland comparisons 'not fair' says Robertson

FT Desk

• 29 Oct 2022 10:33 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool and Manchester City both paid big money for new strikers in the summer transfer window in Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland respectively, and comparing them has proved irresistible for some.

Darwin hasn't exactly come off too well against Haaland - although few in world football have. The Norwegian cost City what now looks like a snip at €60m in arriving from Borussia Dortmund, and has since racked up 22 goals from just 16 games in all competitions.

Darwin's return has been more modest, but a still respectable six goals from 13 matches - even more impressive considering that only seven of those games have been starts and he has a strike every 106 minutes on average.

READ: Darwin Nunez Liverpool xG not as good as Klopp claims

But the deal to secure the Uruguayan from Benfica set Liverpool back a full €40m more than what City paid for Haaland, giving ammunition to his detractors, and a headbutt against Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen and subsequent three-game suspension didn't help.

Scotland captain and left-back Andy Robertson, who put the cross in for Darwin's goal in the 3-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, thinks the comparisons are nonsense.

What did Robertson say?

"The only reason they're getting compared is because they play in the same position and moved in the same window," he said. "It's not fair on anyone. If it was vice versa, it wouldn't be fair on Haaland either.

READ: Erling Haaland at Man City: Goals, assists, results & fixtures in 2022-23

"They're two incredible players and we're delighted to have Darwin here. He's still young, which everyone forgets, and in front of goal he's been really clinical. He's maybe not played as many minutes with the three-game ban, a couple of injuries and he's still adapting, but he's getting there.

"Against Ajax, you could really see what his threats are, and he caused them a lot of problems and they were already worried about him."