Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has set a new Premier League record, becoming the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer in a single season. The Manchester City ace scored his 35th league goal of the campaign in a 3-0 victory over West Ham. Haaland achieved the feat in just 31 games, surpassing the records of England legends Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who scored 34 goals each in the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons respectively, in 42-game seasons.
Haaland’s remarkable scoring form has been vital for Manchester City’s title defense, with his goals keeping them on track when the rest of the team appeared to falter. Critics had earlier declared that City played worse with Haaland in the team, but a tactical shift from manager Pep Guardiola allowed the squad to rediscover its groove, putting together nine consecutive wins in the league, including a 4-1 win over former Prem leaders Arsenal.
The 22-year-old striker’s strike was sandwiched by goals from Nathan Ake and Phil Foden in the routine victory against West Ham. Haaland’s achievement was acknowledged by his team-mates and staff, who gave him an unprecedented guard of honour before entering the tunnel after the match.
Haaland has now scored against 17 different teams this season, with only Brentford and Chelsea escaping his wrath so far, though he will likely face both before the season’s end. He has also scored 12 goals in the Champions League, with potentially three more games to go as City gear up to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Furthermore, he has added three goals in as many games on the way to the FA Cup final.
Reacting to the achievement, Haaland said, “It’s a special night and a special moment. I’m really happy and proud.” When asked whether the record was on his mind, he replied, “Of course I knew about it, but we tried to create the chances to score goals. They came here to try and defend for 90 minutes. It was an important win. You see what my first thought is, to run towards the goal.”
Haaland revealed that he and Jack Grealish had talked about the record before the game, with the latter wanting to give him the pass for the record goal. Haaland added, “It was a perfect pass from Jack. It was a really perfect bounce before I chipped the ball. I didn’t think of it before I chipped it, but the opportunity was there.”
Despite his record-breaking feat, Haaland remains focused on the team’s goals and is not getting carried away with individual accolades. “We cannot keep thinking about these records. I will become crazy in my head. I will go home now and play some video games, and tomorrow we will think about Leeds,” he said.
Haaland’s team-mate Nathan Ake lavished praise on the striker, saying, “The way he came in and does what he does every day and today again, scoring the goals, he’s always there. And to be honest, he deserves everything he gets because he’s a top player.”
Manager Pep Guardiola also joined in the praise for Haaland, saying, “He’s unbelievable, a unique person. He deserves the guard of honour because it’s an incredible milestone. Maybe one day he’ll break his record.”
