Erling Haaland shattered Cristiano Ronaldo's Premier League goal-scoring record and fired Manchester City to the top of the table with a devastating display against West Ham. The Norwegian striker scored twice and assisted once in City's 3-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, sending an ominous message to title rivals Arsenal.
Haaland opened the scoring after just five minutes when Phil Foden set him up. Tijjani Reijnders doubled City's lead before the break, firing home from close range after West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had saved his initial fierce shot.
The 25-year-old striker sealed the win in the 69th minute with his second goal, bringing his Premier League tally to 104 goals. That surpasses Ronaldo's record of 103 Premier League strikes - remarkably achieved in 122 fewer games.
Historic achievement
Haaland's 19th Premier League goal of the season keeps him on course to break his own record of 36 strikes from the 2022/23 campaign. Across all competitions this season, he has netted 25 times in 23 games.
The victory extended City's winning streak to seven games across all competitions. They now sit top of the Premier League table with 37 points, one ahead of Arsenal who have played one game fewer.
Title race pressure mounts
Former City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips told the Premier League website: «It's a statement to say to Arsenal that they're on their tails and ready should they slip up,»
Arsenal face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium at 8pm tonight. A win would restore them to the top of the table. The Gunners have been runners-up for the past three seasons and are seeking their first top-flight title since 2004.
Former City player Nedum Onuoha told the BBC: «But for City to play first because this is the time now going into 2026, you go first, this is the statement. Can they match it?»
He added: «It will be positive for City but Arsenal will be more than ready. Just before Christmas I don't know how big the pressure is but Arsenal will have known this game was going on going into their game and know the scoreline because they want to be top at Christmas.»
Demanding standards
Despite dominating the match, City boss Pep Guardiola showed frustration even while his team led 2-0 at half-time. Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman noted on BBC Radio 5 Live: «Pep Guardiola is getting really frustrated - sometimes because of bad decision making and sometimes the speed of the passing. He is asking more from his team despite the score being in their favour.»
Alan Shearer praised Haaland's performance on the Premier League website, saying: «[Erling Haaland] is on another level isn't he?» He criticized West Ham's effort as "embarrassing," adding: «If you give Foden and Haaland that amount of time and space they're going to have a field day. They've not played at their best but they're cruising.»
West Ham's defeat extended their winless streak to six games, leaving them in the relegation zone for Christmas. City now enjoy a week of rest before facing Nottingham Forest on December 27.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
