Comparing Erling Haaland’s Performance to League Two’s Top Scorer, Macaulay Langstaff: What Do the Statistics Say?

Roy Keane made the bold claim that Erling Haaland’s general play is the standard of a League Two player and Mail Sport has decided to explore the statement a little further.

Keane delivered a scathing assessment of Man City’s star striker after his anonymous display in Sunday’s stalemate with Arsenal at the Etihad.

‘The levels of his general play are so poor. And not just today but in general,’ Keane said on Sky Sports.

And we thought we’d take a look at how the Premier League’s top scorer matches up with League Two’s leading marksman with some help from stats from Opta.

Notts County’s Macaulay Longstaff tops the scoring charts in the fourth tier of English football with 24 goals in 41 matches.

Haaland, meanwhile, has 18 in 24 in a season that hasn’t quite reached the heights of his stunning debut campaign.

The City man has played significantly fewer minutes (2014) and averages a goal every 112 of those.

Langstaff, who has 3604 under his belt, is going at a rate of netting every 150 minutes.

Keane’s comments were focused on Haaland’s overall play rather than his ability to put the ball in the net.

The Norwegian is averaging 23.6 touches a game this season with 6.6 of those in the opposition’s area. 

Langstaff may edge it in terms of touches (26) but a lower amount come in the area (5.4).

Both men are not particularly prone to dribbling, attempting 0.9 a match.

Haaland is much more successful when he does choose too, however, with a 47.6 per cent success rate compared to Langstaff’s 25 per cent.