At Etihad Stadium, City found themselves behind at halftime, courtesy of a remarkable 25-yard strike from Marcus Rashford that put United in the lead. Haaland, presented with an excellent opportunity to equalize, received a perfect setup from a Phil Foden header, positioning him less than a yard from the goal. However, in a stunning turn of events, he astonishingly volleyed the ball over the bar, leaving the home crowd in silence.

As reported by The Athletic, Rashford’s remarkable long-range goal that put United in the lead was assigned an xG of 0.03. In stark contrast, Haaland’s opportunity to score from just beneath the crossbar had a much higher xG of 0.89, underscoring the simplicity of the chance for City’s typically prolific No.9.

Nevertheless, Haaland ultimately had the final sаy. Following a second-half comeback orchestrated by a Phil Foden brace, the Norwegian seized an opportunity arising from United’s defensive lapses and found the back of the net in the 91st minute. This goal served as redemption for Haaland after his surprising miss earlier in the match.

Currently, Haaland leads the goal-scoring charts in the ongoing 2023-24 Premier League season, having netted 18 times in 23 appearances for City. The consistent contribution of the Norwegian striker reмɑιns pivotal as Pep Guardiola’s team aims to replicate their triumphant treble achievement from the previous season. Despite his impressive goal tally, Haaland may find that гιᴠal supporters won’t easily forget his open-goal miss against United, providing fodder for banter for some time to come.