Erling Haaland is on track to break two single-season Premier League goalscoring records after resuming his hat-trick-scoring ways last time out.
In the 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Manchester City forward scored his fourth hat-trick of the year, leaving him one short of Alan Shearer’s record of five hat-tricks in a single Premier League season, established in 1995/96.
Haaland ended his longest goalless streak for the team—333 minutes across all competitions—by scoring Man City’s second goal in their 4-2 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Matchweek 20.
With his hat trick against the Wolves, the Norwegian now has 25 goals for the year, two more than Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min, the Castrol Golden Boot winners from the previous season.
In the competition for the season’s prize, he has a nine-point lead over his closest competitor, Harry Kane.
Haaland is on track to surpass both the 38-match and 42-match single-season Premier League goalscoring records thanks to his impressive performances thus far.
Salah of Liverpool now holds the record for scoring 32 goals in a 38-game season, while Shearer and Andrew Cole both scored 34 goals in 1993/94 and 1994/95, respectively.
While he pursues both records, the 22-year-old is currently far ahead of the curve.
In fact, if he keeps up his current scoring pace, Haaland will surpass Salah’s total against Newcastle United in Matchweek 26 and Cole and Shearer’s total against West Ham United two weeks later, if Man City are not participating in the FA Cup sixth round.
Although Haaland currently appears unstoppable, there is a warning tale of a player who had a hot start but ultimately fell short of Cole and Shearer’s record.
In the 2013–14 season, Luis Suarez scored 22 goals in his first 16 Premier League games before scoring just nine more times the rest of the year.
The emphasis that City manager Pep Guardiola places on the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League victory should also be taken into account.
Guardiola has acknowledged that winning the trophy would not make his stint at the Etihad Stadium complete.
In light of this, the Spaniard may need to carefully manage his resources during a crowded run-in should City proceed to the later stages of the competition.
The City striker will have another chance to increase his total on Sunday, February 5, when the champions visit Spurs.
Next, Guardiola’s club plays host to Aston Villa, a team that Haaland scored for.
Before facing championship rivals Arsenal for the first time this season on Wednesday, February 15, Guardiola’s club will first host Aston Villa, a team Haaland scored against in the opposite match.
With his combination of speed, power, and finishing ability, the young City star has had an incredible start to his Premier League career. Some defenses in the league have struggled to handle his combination of these attributes.
All eyes will be on the No. 9 in the coming weeks and months as he attempts to cement his position in Premier League lore.
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