Global superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland seem to be the latest footballers being compared to one another at the highest level of the game, but is it really a contest?
Both forwards are yet to reach the peak of their powers, and they are both still learning the game in different environments. While they have distinct differences in the way they play football, they both have a deadly aptitude for goals too. These, however, seem to be the only factors that bind the two stars together, with the Frenchman miles ahead of his counterpart when it comes to other areas of play.
Read: Al Ahly 'decide' Percy Tau's fate
Both players have done really well in front of goal this season. The Norwegian's 27 goals and five assists in 30 league matches may help Manchester City win a fourth consecutive EPL title. The Citizens are currently top of the table, two points ahead of Arsenal, with one more game left to play as the race to be crowned English champions goes down to the wire. Pep Guardiola and his side will take on West Ham United on Sunday, while Mikel Arteta's side will be gunning for nothing but a convincing victory when they host Everton. Haaland will be hoping to get on the scoresheet in what could be yet another memorable day for the blue half of Manchester.
Mbappe, meanwhile, has fired his side to what many believe will be yet another league triumph. The Ligue 1 giants top the table and are six points ahead of AS Monaco with a game in hand. Their talisman's contribution has been immense, having amassed 27 goals and seven assists in 29 games.
While their numbers relating to goal contributions may look very similar, their contributions to open-play attacks paint a significantly different picture. The France international has an expected assists (xA) ratio of 0.22, with 1.63 chances created per 90, while his counterpart's xA is 0.08, with a chance creation rate 1.06, per Opta Analyst.
In the UEFA Champions League, the PSG frontman has outshone the City talisman in an attacking sense. Granted, Mbappe has played more UCL matches (12) than Haaland (who has played nine) has this season. Their in-game contributions, however, make that irrelevant with the Frenchman having shown off his all-round game. He has created 25 chances in comparison to the Norwegian's eight, and completed 384 passes with a success rate of 84% while his counterpart registered just 84 with a 79% completion rate.
Most would also agree that Mbappe takes the cake when it comes to the eye test, given he possesses abilities that allow him to run at – and beat – players with the ball at his feet, create chances, effectively bring teammates into the game, play in tight spaces and, of course, clinically finish opportunities, whereas Haaland has faced much criticism for his lack of involvement in build-up play.
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane acknowledged that when it comes to the 23-year-old's ability in front of goal, "he's best in the world", He also, however, stated: "The levels of his general play are so poor."
The Sky Sports pundit went on to compare him to strikers in the lower levels of English football. "He's almost like a League Two player. That is the way I look at him. His general play has to improve."
Read: Man Utd 'make contact' with former coach amid Ten Hag struggles
Unfortunately for football fans across the globe who are currently thirsting for another rivalry to match the calibre of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe and Haaland cannot truly be compared until we see the City attacker improve other areas of his game. Whether or not that will happen is another issue on its own.
Disclaimer: SNL24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on SNL24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of SNL24.