THE HAAL OF FAME

Guardiola insists City star Erling is still the top gun and says he wouldn't swap him for Isak or any other striker

- BY TYRONE MARSHALL

PEP GUARDIOLA wouldn't swap Erling Haaland for anyone after dismissing claims Liverpool's £125million man Alexander Isak could be the best striker in the world.

The Swede could make his debut at Burnley tomorrow after coming through international duty unscathed, with Liverpool boss Arne Slot labelling him "maybe the best striker in the world" ahead of the game.

That is a claim given short shrift by Guardiola, who doesn't even rate Isak as the best striker in Scandinavia.

That status belongs to Haaland, whose recordbreaking haul of 88 goals in 100 games makes him untouchable in the eyes of his manager.

The battle for goalscoring supremacy between the Swede and the Norwegian will be an interesting subplot to this Premier League season but Guardiola is backing his own man to come out on top. When Slot's claim was put to him, Guardiola said Haaland was "a little bit above" Liverpool's No.9.

Guardiola said: "Isak is an exceptional player," said Guardiola. "You asked me what Erling is as a striker, so he's top.