Erling Haaland Archives

Manchester City’s Haaland makes ‘huge’ Premier League history

Erling Haaland said he was “proud” to make history as the Manchester City striker became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals in Tuesday’s pulsating 5-4 win against Fulham.

Haaland’s clinical finish in the first half at Craven Cottage took him to his century in just 111 league appearances for City.

The 25-year-old broke the previous record set by former Newcastle and Blackburn star Alan Shearer, who took 124 matches to reach 100 goals.

“It’s huge, and I’m really proud. Of course, it’s a massive thing, 100 club is a nice thing to be in, and I’m happy,” Haaland said.

“I knew about the record, that’s what I tried to do. I try to help the team score goals, that’s my job.”

Haaland, who signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, had failed to score in his previous three games against Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds.

He broke that mini-drought with the latest milestone in his glittering City career. Of Haaland’s 100 goals, 71 came with his left foot and 17 with his head.

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“When you’re a striker for Man City, you should be delivering great numbers,” he said. “That’s my job, people should criticise me if I don’t, and that’s normally what they do. I should deliver.”

He produced a sumptuous finish to put City ahead in the 17th minute against Fulham, giving him 15 league goals this term and 20 in all competitions.

Jeremy Doku provided the assist with a precise cut-back, and Haaland timed his run perfectly to unleash a ferocious blast that whistled past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno from 12 yards.

With City now only two points behind leaders Arsenal, Haaland added: “It’s important, Arsenal came here and won here. Fulham are a great team, but we shouldn’t think too much about Arsenal.

“We should focus on ourselves. Today wasn’t good enough, and we know this. We need to improve as a team, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Haaland still has a long way to go to break Shearer’s most significant record, with the former England captain holding the Premier League’s all-time scoring mark on 260 goals.

“I know about it, but I don’t think too much about it,” he said.

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Haaland strikes as Norway thump Italy to reach first World Cup since 1998

MILAN: Norway qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 after Erling Haaland struck again in a 4-1 thumping of Italy on Sunday, which sealed a spot in the 2026 edition in the United States of America (USA), Canada and Mexico.

Haaland scored the decisive brace in the space of seconds at a soaking San Siro for Norway, who completed Group I with a perfect 24 points from their eight qualifying matches.

Norway would have had to lose by nine goals or more in order to be overtaken by Italy for the group’s only automatic place for next summer’s finals in North America, but Stale Solbakken’s side gloriously ended their campaign in front of 70,000 people.

However, Solbakken was coy as to his powerful team’s chances now that a 28-year weight has come to an end.

Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, was still an international player when Norway last competed in the World Cup 27 years ago, a tournament won by a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France.

And the Manchester City striker, called a “goal machine” by Solbakken, will be one of the players to watch in North America after smashing in 16 goals during qualifying.

The 25-year-old is averaging more than a goal a game for club and country this season and was typically ruthless when presented with his opportunities to both put Norway ahead and then double their lead in the 78th and 79th minutes.

Pio Esposito opened the scoring for Italy in the 11th minute, but once Antonio Nusa levelled with a thumping strike in the 63rd minute, there was only one team that looked like winning, and Jorgen Strand Larsen’s brilliant individual goal completed the rout in stoppage time.

Italy will head to the play-offs in March after finishing the group six points behind Norway following two bracing defeats to Solbakken’s team, and exited the San Siro field to a hail of whistles from the few home fans who had stayed until the end.

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Haaland opens up on Man City’s ‘miserable run’ in Champions League

Erling Haaland said Manchester City must show more energy to end their miserable run on the road in the Champions League after twice blowing the lead in a 2-2 draw at Monaco.

Haaland scored both the visitors’ goals at the Stade Louis II to take his tally for the season to 17 in just 10 appearances for club and country.

Monaco rallied to level through a wonder strike by Jordan Teze, and Eric Dier’s late penalty secured a point for the Ligue 1 side.

“I’m pissed off, I think everyone should be,” Haaland told the BBC. “It’s not good enough.”

City have failed to win away from home in Europe for a year, although a point did at least snap a run of four consecutive Champions League defeats on the road.

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Pep Guardiola’s men were dumped out before the last-16 stage last season for the first time since the 2012/13 campaign.

City scraped into the play-off round despite winning just three of their eight league phase games before a 6-3 humbling by Real Madrid over two legs.

Haaland was frustrated by his side’s approach as they tried to protect their slender lead in the second half in Monaco rather than seeking to kill the game off.

“Of course I don’t feel good, we didn’t win,” he added.

“We do something unnecessarily in the second half and we don’t think we played good enough. We don’t deserve to win.

“We need more energy. We need to get at them more as we did in the first half and dominated much more.”

City sit eighth in the Champions League table with four points from their opening two games.

Guardiola’s men face a tough run in Europe before the end of 2025 with trips to Villarreal and Real Madrid, while German teams Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund visit the Etihad.

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Pep Guardiola wants no repeat of ‘under-14s’ display against Arsenal

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said his side can ill afford a repeat of the “under-14s” defending that saw them thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal in February.

Guardiola’s men travel to the Emirates again on Sunday, already trailing the Gunners and defending champions Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Man City lost two of their opening three games to Tottenham and Brighton., However, they have bounced back with comprehensive victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League over Napoli.

Erling Haaland starred in Man City vs Napoli clash as he scored his 50th goal in the Champions League.

The thrashing at the hands of his former protege, Mikel Arteta, was one of the low points in a miserable campaign for Guardiola.

City failed to win a trophy for the first time since 2017 and finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.

“The game last season, we started like many times last season, like an under-14s team and gave away a thousand million goals,” said Guardiola when asked to reflect on his last visit to the Emirates.

“After we were, a lot of the time, pretty good considering how it was last season, but the last 15-20 minutes were a disaster.

“We forgot to do what we had to do, and it was easy for Arsenal. I want to compete to be a better team than we were last season.”

Both Liverpool and Arsenal massively outspent City in the transfer window in the battle for Premier League supremacy, and Guardiola took the opportunity for a dig at those who claim his six titles since arriving in England are due to the budget at his disposal.

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“The only thing I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta is if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent money, not because he worked hard or because of his players,” Guardiola said sarcastically.

“It’s like Liverpool, too. If Arne (Slot) wins it again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that (spend), right?”

Arteta left behind working as Guardiola’s assistant in 2019 and has slowly built Arsenal back into a force capable of competing for major trophies.

But he has still just won one piece of silverware, the 2020 FA Cup, after finishing second in the Premier League for the past three seasons.

“He found the club in a (certain) way and step-by-step, window by window, Arsenal is getting better,” added Guardiola.

“Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward, and they are, for me, the most solid team. They don’t make mistakes in the back.”

City begins the weekend three points behind Arsenal and six adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The challenge facing Guardiola’s side is heightened by the fact that they played their Champions League opener 48 hours after Arsenal, who won 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

Guardiola refused to be drawn into the scheduling debate but conceded it could be difficult for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to start three games in eight days on his return from a major knee injury.

“With him in the pitch we feel more comfortable but, of course, after coming from a tough injury you have to be alert and we will decide on Sunday how he does feel.”

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Erling Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has signed a new 9.5-year deal at Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until 2034, the Premier League champions announced on Friday.

The 24-year-old striker’s existing deal was due to expire in June 2027 but he has now committed his future to the club for the next decade.

The Norwegian joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club.

“I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club,” said Haaland.

“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.

“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.

“I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”

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Manchester City’s outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “Everyone at the club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract.

“The fact he is signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player, and his love of this club.

“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves.

“But in addition to his outstanding natural talent and ability, Erling’s dedication, professionalism, humility and desire to keep getting better sum up what we all strive to achieve at Manchester City.

“He is one of the finest strikers in world football, but Erling is still very young and will only continue to improve working under Pep and his coaching team. If he works hard, which I know he will, he will create an incredible legacy at this football club.

“Now he can focus on his game and continuing to play a huge part in helping us try to achieve even more success.”

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Erling Haaland equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s 13-year-old record

MANCHESTER: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland on Sunday, added another feather to his cap by equalling legendary Cristiano Ronaldo’s 13-year-old record of the fastest to 100 goals for a European club.

Haaland achieved the milestone in City’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

The Norweigan striker gave the home side a head start by netting the opener just nine minutes into the game.

With that goal, he became the 19th player for Manchester City to amass the 100-goal landmark, joining the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.

Erling Haaland achieved the feat in the fewest appearances for the City and thus drew level with Cristiano Ronaldo, who also conceded 105 matches to score 100 goals for Real Madrid in 2011.

Top 10 players with the fastest to 100 goals for a European club

Erling Haaland (Manchester City): 105
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 105
Luis Suarez (Barcelona): 120
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain): 124
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus): 131
Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United): 131
Edinson Cavani (Napoli): 135
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 136
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 137
Christian Vieri (Inter Milan): 138

Furthermore, Erling Haaland, who has been in a purple patch since the start of this year’s Premier League, has scored nine goals in just four matches.

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His tally of nine goals is the highest by a player in the first four matches of the Premier League edition, going past Wayne Rooney, who scored eight goals for Manchester United in the 2011/12 season.

Since joining the City in 2022, Haaland helped the club to achieve new heights. He ended the 2022/23 season as the leading goal-scorer with 36 and played a pivotal role in leading Manchester City to their fourth-consecutive Premier League title.

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Erling Haaland nominated for PFA Player of the Year award

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is in the hunt to win a second successive PFA Player of the Year award after being nominated alongside team-mates Phil Foden and Rodri.

Haaland enjoyed another prolific campaign with 38 goals in all competitions as Manchester City lifted an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.

The Norway star won the PFA award after Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022-23.

Rodri was a key figure in the midfield for Manchester City during their latest Premier League triumph and also helped Spain win Euro 2024.

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England playmaker Foden scored 27 goals last season for Pep Guardiola’s men.

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins have also been shortlisted for the prize.

The women’s award will go to either a Chelsea player or a City player.

Chelsea’s Niamh Charles, Erin Cuthbert and Lauren James are shortlisted along with Yui Hasegawa, Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw.

The winners will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 20.

For the unversed, Erling Haaland recently scored a powering hat trick, including two goals in the first five minutes, and led Manchester City over Chelsea 4-2 in an English club football friendly at Columbus, Ohio.

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Erling Haaland hat trick powers Manchester City over Chelsea 4-2

Erling Haaland scored a powering hat trick, including two goals in the first five minutes, and led Manchester City over Chelsea 4-2 on Saturday in an English club football friendly at Columbus, Ohio.

Reigning Premier League champion City scored goals 54 seconds apart in the first half and 71 seconds apart in the second half to dominate the fixture, part of a US pre-season tour for both clubs.

Haaland wore the captain’s armband and showed a crowd of 71,280 why he is considered among the world’s best players.

The 24-year-old Norwegian striker scored on a penalty kick in the fourth minute and, after a Moises Caicedo giveaway in the Chelsea half, smashed a right-footed shot into the right corner for a 2-0 City lead in the fifth minute — only 17 seconds after the restart.

Oscar Bobb boosted the lead to three in the 55th minute, taking the ball down the right wing and cutting inside to fire a left-footed shot past a defender and just inside the near post.

Haaland then completed his hat trick in the 56th minute after City forced a turnover in Chelsea territory.

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Erling Haaland took a pass at the top of the box between two defenders and flicked in a left-footed shot for a 4-0 City edge only 25 seconds after the restart.

Raheem Sterling answered for Chelsea in the 59th minute and Noni Madueke added a final goal in the 89th but it was too little and too late.

The game was a preview of the start of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign for both clubs. Manchester City will open the season against Chelsea on August 18.

In another pre-season US showdown of English giants, Liverpool blanked Manchester United 3-0 before 77,559 spectators at Columbia, South Carolina.

Fabio Carvalho, a 21-year-old Portuguese striker, opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 10th minute.

In the 36th minute, Egyptian striker Mo Saleh got to the backline and fired a perfect centring pass to onrushing Curtis Jones, who tapped in with his left foot for a 2-0 Liverpool lead.

Greek standout Kostas Tsimikas gave the Merseysiders a 3-0 edge in the 61st minute, knocking in a rebound off the left post.

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Manchester City stunned by Celtic in seven-goal thriller

Nicolas Kuhn scored twice and Luis Palma netted the decider in the 68th minute to give Celtic a 4-3 victory over Manchester City in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday.

Norway’s Erling Haaland, wearing the City captain’s armband for the first time, nodded home an equalizer in the 57th minute only for Honduran international Palma to tap in the winning goal on a breakaway at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Memorial Stadium.

The match was a tuneup for next month’s start of the 2024-25 campaigns for Celtic, winner of the past three Scottish Premiership crowns, and four-time defending English Premier League champion Manchester City, which began a US tour.

With several top stars resting from the European Championships, City manager Pep Guardiola used the opportunity to analyze younger talent.

The match marked a Celtic debut for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, the 37-year-old Dane who began his career with City in 2006. He played the first half for the Hoops.

German right-wing Kuhn netted a first-half brace for Celtic, playing in a fourth pre-season match.

Down 3-1 at half-time, City answered seconds into the second half on just-inserted 21-year-old Argentine substitute Maximo Perrone’s goal, a left-footed shot from the right side into the far corner on his first touch of the ball.

Haaland headed in a centring pass from countryman Oscar Bobb in the 57th minute to lift the City level.

But Celtic scored the winner in the 68th minute as Palma, who entered three minutes earlier, finished a three-man breakaway as City’s defenders were caught flat-footed near midfield after pressing with the backline.

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Manchester City substitute Ben Knight was denied an equalizer in the 76th minute when second-half Celtic keeper Viljami Sinisalo of Finland knocked the ball over the crossbar.

Kuhn opened the scoring in the 13th minute, taking a pass on the right side and charging in on City starting goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, then firing a left-footed shot just inside the far post.

Schmeichel denied Haaland in the 23rd minute with a right-hand save on a left-footed shot off a feed from James McAtee.

In the 31st, Schmeichel again denied Haaland, from the right side on a left-footed shot that Schmeichel swatted away with his left hand.

But Manchester City equalized in the 33rd minute as Haaland flicked the ball left to onrushing Bobb, who blasted a shot that deflected off Schmeichel and bounced into the goal.

Kuhn answered for Celtic in the 36th minute, rushing in from the right wing then pulling back the ball to evade a defender and curling a left-footed blast high into the goal.

Celtic stretched the edge to 3-1 in the 44th minute when Kuhn delivered a perfect centring pass to Japan’s fast-rushing Kyogo Furuhashi, who split two defenders, evaded Ortega and fired in a left-footed shot from a steep angle.

Manchester City’s US tour continues Saturday against AC Milan at New York’s Yankee Stadium, with other matches next week against Barcelona at Orlando and Chelsea in Columbus, Ohio.

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Erling Haaland tells Manchester City to ‘relax’ ahead of title race finale

Erling Haaland has urged his Manchester City teammates to “relax” after they closed in on making English football history with a 2-0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tuesday’s triumph in north London saw Manchester City, courtesy of two goals from Haaland, win their game in hand as they returned to the top of the table as they moved two points clear of Arsenal.

Victory at home to West Ham on Sunday’s final day of the season will now assure City of a fourth successive Premier League title — an unprecedented feat in the top tier of English football.

“Yeah, fantastic mentality,” Haaland told City+. “Focus on game by game and now relax. We came here to try to win and we won.

Haaland opened the scoring six minutes into the second half when he tapped in from Kevin De Bruyne’s pass before doubling City’s lead from the penalty spot after Jeremy Doku was brought down by Pedro Porro.

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Spurs, however, had a chance to equalise but City reserve goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, who came on after Ederson was injured in a challenge with Cristian Romero, stood up well to deny Son Heung-min when one-on-one with the South Korean.

“They’re a fantastic team,” Haaland said of Spurs. “You know everyone knows that they want to play all the time and all praise to them.

“It was really difficult, but yeah, we came here to try and win and we won. That’s my only thing and I’m happy.

“I think we were a bit nervous. I think that’s normal, there’s a lot of emotions for everyone.

“Everyone knows the situation, but it’s about not thinking too much. Try to focus on your things to do and try to win.”

He added: “Ortega man of the match… What can I say? He’s incredible and such a good guy as well, so I’m happy for him.”

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