Erling Haaland’s second hat-trick in seven days continued Manchester City’s perfect start to the 2024-25 season as the reigning champions moved top of the table with a 3-1 win at West Ham.
Premier League top scorer Haaland stroked in his first from Bernardo Silva’s pass after 10 minutes, lashed in an emphatic second from inside the box 20 minutes later and completed his treble by lifting the ball over Lukasz Fabianski seven minutes from time.
The 24-year-old is in ominous form, outscoring every other Premier League team by taking his total in the first three games of the campaign to seven following his hat-trick in City’s 4-1 home thrashing of Ipswich Town on August 24.
City moved two points clear of Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion, who drew 1-1 at Emirates Stadium earlier on Saturday. West Ham have three points from three games.
I’M LOST FOR WORDS! 🤯
⚒️ 1-3 🩵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/hnNyXvrmoF
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2024
Haaland goals continue
If Haaland’s end to last season was quiet by his remarkably prolific standards, the Norway international looks to have been supercharged by a full summer off in the absence of his country from Uefa Euro 2024.
Already a firm favourite to be the top scorer in England for a third consecutive campaign, Haaland now has 70 goals in 69 Premier League games for City and was in unstoppable form at the London Stadium.
The second-highest Premier League scorer, Noni Madueke, has a mere three goals courtesy of his hat-trick in Chelsea’s 6-2 win at Wolves last Sunday.
Erling Haaland. That is all.#ManCity pic.twitter.com/4iZnJz2jZz
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2024
West Ham can perhaps consider themselves unfortunate not to have swayed the momentum of the contest when Mohammed Kudus hit the woodwork early in the second half.
Haaland had been quiet after the break until he restored City’s two-goal cushion to ensure only Liverpool can catch them before the international break, although the Reds have a three-goal inferiority.
3️⃣ appearances
7️⃣ goalsIncredible, @ErlingHaaland 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vKuIoQntev
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2024
Man City fixtures
The result means West Ham have lost each of their first two home games following their opening 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, although they won 2-0 at Crystal Palace in between.
City will retain outright top spot should Liverpool fail to win at Manchester United on Sunday (4pm BST).
They are next in action when they host fifth-placed Brentford, against whom they won through the only goal of the game by Haaland at Etihad Stadium last season, on September 14 (3pm BST).
