'I don't know what he wants' - Man City hitman Erling Haaland accuses Enzo Fernandez of 'stamping' on him after running battle with Chelsea midfielder

The reigning Premier League champions got their title defence off to the best possible start when collecting a 2-0 victory in west London. Two-time Golden Boot winner Haaland was on target in that contest, as he opened his account for 2024-25 with a clinical first-half finish.

The Norwegian striker has found the target on 91 occasions through 100 appearances for City in all competitions. That stunning strike rate makes him an obvious target for opponents that want to try to knock him out of his stride with some rough treatment.

Haaland has grown accustomed to that, telling BBC Sport of his running battle with World Cup winner Fernandez in a game that saw City take their first step towards a record-enhancing fifth successive Premier League title: “All the time he stamps on me, he pushes me and everything, not only him. I don't know what he wants but that's what they do I guess.

“We just won the Premier League so let's take it game by game. It's 37 games left, let's not forget we won the Premier League and now we have won the first game of this season. It's amazing to have everyone back. We go from there. It's ridiculous how quick it actually goes, it's my third season now. I'm happy, especially now after the win. It's the first game back and we're not in perfect shape, but we did a really solid performance. We just stayed calm and played, it's amazing to see.”

Former Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic netted City’s second to wrap up the points at Stamford Bridge. Pep Guardiola's side have already picked up the Community Shield this season and intend to compete for every trophy available to them in what could be their manager's final campaign at the helm – as the final year of his contract runs down.