Erling Haaland continues to break records and set new marks too. Sunday’s three-goal, two-assist display in Manchester City’s 6-3 win over Manchester United was the best ever in a Mancunian derby.
Haaland has already raced to 17 goals for his new club in 11 appearances, while his treble against United made it three hat-tricks in three straight home games. He is the first player to achieve the latter feat.
The 22-year-old Norwegian also became just the 25th player in Premier League history to be directly involved in five goals in a game. Haaland is the youngest player, at 22 years and 73 days, to achieve the feat.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund striker was also the first City player to net a hat-trick in a Manchester derby in more than 50 years, dating back to Francis Lee in 1970.
“I say it many times and I will say again – what Erling is doing he did in Norway, Austria and Germany,” City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters.
Haaland moved to City in August after scoring 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund, while he netted 29 times in 27 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria prior to that.
“The quality we have alongside him helps him score, but what he is doing I didn’t teach him,” Guardiola added. “He has incredible instincts. It comes from his mum and dad. He was born with that.”
Guardiola continued that Haaland could get even better, in a scary thought for opposition sides.
“What I like was in the last period of the game, he was involved. I want him to be involved,” he said.
“He became a player to score goals, but I want him in contact with the ball. I like him being part of those situations. But of course, he has to put the ball in the net, and he is a fantastic striker.”
Haaland’s return of 14 league goals in eight games has him currently on a trajectory for 66.5 goals in the Premier League season.
The current single-season goals record is shared by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole with 34 in the 1994-95 and 1993-94 seasons respectively, which were both 42-game seasons.
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