While Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored against every Premier League opponent he has encountered, certain clubs have managed to slow down the prolific Norwegian compared to his extraordinary scoring standards. Though applying the term bogey team to Haaland might seem like hyperbole given his record-breaking output, a statistical look at specific matchups reveals which defenses have enjoyed the most success in containing him.
Among the top tier of sides that have limited his output are Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. Against both clubs, Haaland has managed four goals across eight Premier League matches. While scoring in half of his appearances might not traditionally qualify as a strugglesome record for most players, it falls below Haaland’s lofty averages. Against Chelsea, his goals came during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, highlighted by a brace in a 4-4 draw, though he has gone his last two outings against the Stamford Bridge side without finding the net. Against Tottenham, he scored in his initial meeting and has found the target in every season against them except for the previous campaign.
Bournemouth enters true bogey team territory by holding Haaland to a goals-to-game ratio below 0.5. The Cherries have restricted the Manchester City forward to four goals across nine Premier League matches, making them the opponent he has faced most frequently in domestic play. Following a goal during his first visit to the Vitality Stadium, Haaland endured a four-game drought against Bournemouth before scoring a brace in the home leg of the 2025-26 season and adding another in the return fixture. However, he failed to score against them in Manchester City’s opening fixture of the current campaign.
Aston Villa boasts an even tighter record, limiting Haaland to just one goal in five appearances. That single strike came during their first meeting, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Since then, the Norwegian striker has gone four consecutive games without a goal against the Birmingham club, though it is worth noting that he has not played Villa at the Etihad Stadium since 2023.
At the very top of the list of defensive units that have frustrated the striker are Newcastle United. In seven Premier League encounters, Haaland has managed only a single goal, which came back in 2022 during his very first meeting with the club in a 3-3 draw at St James’ Park. He has been thoroughly quieted in subsequent league matches. Furthermore, expanding the sample to include cup competitions reveals that Haaland has also failed to score across two League Cup fixtures and one FA Cup match against Newcastle. His next opportunity to add to his tally against the Magpies is scheduled for Boxing Day.
