Troy Deeney has made a bold claim about how many goals he backs Jermain Defoe to score in this current Manchester City side. 

Pep Guardiola has perfected Man City into a fine-tuned goal-scoring machine that runs on a system that few other clubs can match, combining high intensity pressing with possession dominance. 

The rewards for such a style have been plain to see; City won the Treble last term before adding the Club world Cup officially crowning them as the best team in the world, if confirmation were even needed. 

Deeney, though, has backed Defoe to flourish under Guardiola as the question was posed to the Watford legend over how many goals he reckons he would have notched had he been part of the set up. 

Jermain Defoe made his name as one of the Premier League’s stand out poachers in his day

Troy Deeney claimed it takes a ‘special striker’ to succeed in Pep Guardiola’s Man City

‘Me? 15-20,’ Deeney admitted perhaps modestly on his Football Firsts podcast with Defoe. ‘Your game changes. I’m not quick enough. You’re scoring 40!’

Defoe responded: ‘But you’ve always got the ball you don’t need to run?’

But Deeney was adamant about his prediction: ‘Even you know there’s more to it than that. You have to be a special type of player to score in those type of situations. Do you get what I’m saying?

‘You would fit in those situations because you’re on the shoulder, you’re reacting to things, you’ve got that sharpness.’

Defoe made his name as a sharp-shooter from inside the box, latching onto half-chances and carving out goals for his sides. 

For Tottenham alone he netted 140 times, with a total of 160 in the Premier League across all his clubs, earning a reputation as one of the nation’s best poachers. 

Although Deeney was quick to sing his colleague’s praises, though, he had a perhaps surprising opinion on how one of the Premier League’s finest No 9’s currently in the game. 

‘You couldn’t put – he’s going to kill me for this – but Ivan Toney can’t go in there and score 40-50 goals,’ Deeney claimed. ‘It takes a special striker to make 10-15 runs and not get the ball, and keep doing it because you know you’re only going to get the ball once.’

Erling Haaland was on target against Brentford on Wednesday after criticisms over his current form

Ivan Toney is one of the Premier League’s finest No 9’s but Deeney suggested he would not hit Haaland-esque numbers at City

Haaland was once again on target for City on Tuesday night against Toney’s Brentford to bulldoze his side into three points after a resolute showing from the Bees. 

It comes after some criticism had been levelled at the Norwegian for not quite reaching the heights he had set last term, but Guardiola was quick to hit back at those claims after the match.

‘Top strikers score a lot of goals. Don’t criticise, because he will shut your mouth,’ said Guardiola. ‘Sooner or later, he is there. He was out for two months. He’s had an incredibly tough week, losing his grandmother.

‘It’s not easy for a human being and he’s not in his best shape. In these types of games like Brentford, you need Erling,’ the City manager added.