Just how good can Erling Haaland be and how many goal-scoring records will the Manchester City striker break? The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero and Alan Shearer are nervously waiting to find out the answer to those questions.
Since completing a £51 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to City this summer, Haaland has scored a remarkable 19 goals in 12 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s team. With struggling Southampton next up at the Etihad on Saturday, there is a genuine prospect of the former Molde and FC Salzburg forward registering a hat trick in four successive home Premier League games.
Already this season, Haaland has rewritten the record books in a City shirt. He has eclipsed club legend Aguero by scoring in nine successive games — Aguero only managed eight straight games on two occasions — he reached 10 Premier League goals in the quickest-ever time (six games) and is the first player to score in his first four Premier League away games.
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Haaland’s father, Alfie, the former City midfielder, recently said in the documentary “Haaland: The Big Decision” that his son could move around Europe’s major leagues during his career: “I think Erling wants to prove his abilities in all leagues. Then he can stay there [Manchester City] for three or four years at the most. He could be, for example, 2½ in Germany, 2½ years in England and then in Spain, Italy, France, right?”
The clock could be ticking on Haaland Jr.’s chances of breaking the major records in England, but having made such a phenomenal start to his career at the Etihad, the 22-year-old is certainly in with a chance of notching a few more before he hangs up his City shirt. Here’s what he should have his eye on.
All stats provided via ESPN Stats and Information.
Fastest player to 100 Premier League goals
Shearer (whose name will come up a few times in this article) holds the record for being the quickest player to 100 Premier League goals, hitting the century mark after 124 games with Blackburn Rovers in the 1995-96 season.
Shearer’s feats for Blackburn helped the club win the Premier League title in 1994-95, when he scored 34 goals in a 42-game season, and later he became the world’s most expensive footballer with a record £15m move to Newcastle United in August 1996.
Haaland is likely to need at least 2½ seasons, at his current strike rate, to hit 100 Premier League goals. But he has already scored 14 in eight games, so Shearer’s record is certainly one he could break.
Fastest player to score three Premier League hat tricks
Haaland claimed this record for himself last Sunday after becoming the first Manchester City player to score a hat trick against Manchester United since Francis Lee in 1970 — Phil Foden then became the second to do so in the same game.
Haaland needed just eight Premier League games to score three hat tricks and the magnitude of his feat is highlighted by the fact that he took the record from Michael Owen, who scored his third Premier League hat trick for Liverpool in his 48th game.
Most goals in a Premier League season
Shearer and Andy Cole share the record of 34 goals in a Premier League season, although both registered that figure in a 42-game campaign, with Cole managing it for Newcastle in 1993-94 and Shearer doing so with Blackburn in 1994-95.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah holds the record for most goals in a 38-game season, scoring 32 in 2017-18, but both the 34 and 32-goal milestones are under serious threat from Haaland this season.
