Host 'sorry' for saying it would be 'outrageous' for Haaland to win Golden Boot

Sky Sports host Rory Jennings has apologised to Erling Haaland for predicting he would be a flop in his debut season in the Premier League, admitting he will 'never live down' his mistake.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Saturday Social show at the start of the season, Jennings boldly claimed Haaland would struggle to adapt to life in the Premier League following his £51million move from Borussia Dortmund.

The former EastEnders star, who is a Chelsea fan, said it was 'outrageous' to expect Haaland would win the Golden Boot and suggested 15 league goals would be a realistic return.

His prediction backfired spectacularly, with Haaland finding the net 36 times so far this season to set a new Premier League record and set City on course for a fifth league title in six seasons.

He has also scored 12 times in the Champions League to put Pep Guardiola's men on the verge of a historic treble.

And Jennings acknowledged he had badly underestimated the Norwegian, with his predictions influenced by Timo Werner's performances at Chelsea.

'Erling, I'm full of regret and remorse. I underestimated you and I was wrong,' he said on the final Saturday Social episode of the season.

'My knowledge was clouded by Timo Werner, who landed on these shores from the Bundesliga with a very impressive record.

'But Erling, I apologise.

'You are correct, I'm wrong and I will never live this down. You're elite and I'm sorry.'

Like Haaland - who scored 86 goals in 89 games in all competitions for Dortmund - Werner arrived in the Premier League with a reputation as one of Europe's best strikers after netting 95 goals in 159 games for RB Leipzig.

But the German failed to hit the same heights following a £46million move to Chelsea three years ago, scoring 23 goals in 89 appearances for the Blues before returning to the Bundesliga.

Haaland has had no such issues, scoring 52 times in his first season for City and coming closer than any other player in Premier League history has ever done to match Dixie Dean's seemingly unbeatable record of 65 goals in the 1927-28 campaign.

'It's unbelievable how many goals he has scored and all the important goals he has scored to help us win games and all the things like that [...] he is a unique person,' Guardiola said after Haaland broke the record for most goals in a Premier League season earlier this month.

'Player of course, but the person is also so special. It was nice - he deserves the guard of honour we have done for him because of his incredible milestone.

'Maybe one he will break his record or another player will break his record, but he would have to score a lot of goals.'

City will be crowned champions on Saturday night if Arsenal fail to win away at Nottingham Forest.