We had run out of superlatives to describe Erling Haaland by around mid-September but as we approach a decisive month that could end in disaster or unique glory, one adjective feels particularly apt: inevitable.
Whether teams mark him man for man or stand off the Norwegian, the outcome is the same. Whether they limit him to single-figures for touches of the ball or let him drop deep to impact play, the outcome is the same.
Like death and taxes, Haaland finding the net is becoming one of life’s certainties. He scored with his first sniff of goal here and then added another with a fantastic overhead kick to take his tally to 44 for the season, 30 of which in the Premier League.