Exclusive: 'He’s unreal' - Erling Haaland relishing chance to ‘test himself’ against Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk

Erling Haaland is relishing the chance to test himself against “monster” Virgil van Dijk when Manchester City face Liverpool in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash.

Reigning champions City travel to Anfield on Sunday in a momentous moment for the three-horse title race.

Pep Guardiola’s side are one point behind leaders Liverpool and one point above Arsenal with 11 games to go.

The battle between Haaland, the league’s top scorer with 18 goals, and Liverpool centre-back Van Dijk could go a long way to deciding who takes home the points.

And the Norway international made it clear in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports that it's a challenge he's looking forward to.

“I think he’s the main guy in Liverpool and I said it for many years, he’s unreal. I also heard he’s a really nice guy as well so that helps,” Haaland told TNT Sports.

“He’s a monster. I like to play against players like him because then you really test yourself. What can I say, it’s going to be a nice game.”

Haaland has hit a rich vein of form recently, scoring four goals in his last five Premier League games and an incredible five goals in one game against Luton Town in the FA Cup.

He recently hit back at Trent Alexander-Arnold's inflammatory comments ahead of the clash, pointing out that the Liverpool defender does not know "exactly this feeling” of winning the treble.

England defender Alexander-Arnold had suggested City’s success has not been won in the same manner because of the level of financial support available to both sides.

"If you want to say that, OK. I’ve been one year and we won the treble, it's quite a nice feeling," Haaland told Sky Sports.

“I don't think he knows exactly this feeling I felt last season, it was quite nice.

“They can talk as much as they want or he can talk as much as he wants. I don't know why he does that but I don’t mind.”

Liverpool come into the game on a seven-match winning run in all competitions, which included clinching the first piece of major silverware of the season by beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final through an extra-time Van Dijk header.

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