Arsenal legend Tony Adams has confidently stated that he would “chew” up Man City striker Erling Haaland if he were facing him in a match today.
Speaking to the Irish Independent‘s Indo Sport podcast, Adams likened Haaland to the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, Alan Shearer, but the ex-Gunners captain claims that his style of defending was more suited to keeping those types of forwards quiet:
“So Alan Shearer, I always say, he was so easy for me because he was a throwback to the good old days.”
“And I think Haaland would be very easy for me today. You know, that’s the kind of guy – I’d chew him up tomorrow.”
Comparing eras is always tough
It has to be mentioned that Adams’ heyday was the 90s, while Haaland is in his prime 30 years later. A lot has changed in football over that time.
There are some tackles that Adams made at the beginning of the Premier League era that were regarded as acceptable at the time but are now outlawed.
Vice versa, you could argue that Premier League defenders now are not quite as ‘street savvy’ as they used to be. You’d think that Haaland would relish the challenge of going up against Adams, but it would be a pretty even fight.
Haaland has expressed admiration for centre-backs
Despite his outstanding goal record, the Norwegian international certainly isn’t dismissive when it comes to appreciating top defenders.
For example, he has praised Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk as a “physical monster” in the past, and he has also stated his admiration for teammates like Ruben Dias.
With Haaland’s speed and physicality, you would think that he could thrive in any era, but we will never know how he would fare against such a tough competitor like Adams.
Read more about the Man City First Team Squad for 2025/26 here