On the evening of 14/9, Haaland scored twice in Man City's 3-0 victory over Man Utd. The 25-year-old striker became the second-highest goal contributor in Manchester derby history, with 11 goals and assists combined (8 goals and 3 assists). He surpassed Eric Cantona (7 goals, 3 assists) and Wayne Rooney (8 goals, 1 assist), who have 10 and 9 goal contributions respectively.
Haaland now trails only Ryan Giggs, who has 13 goal contributions (1 goal, 12 assists). With the former Wales player retired, it seems only a matter of time before the Man City star breaks the record.
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Haaland seals the 3-0 victory in the Manchester derby on the evening of 14/9. Photo: Reuters |
Haaland seals the 3-0 victory in the Manchester derby on the evening of 14/9. Photo: Reuters
These two latest goals also brought Haaland's Premier League tally to 90. Having played just 101 matches in the league, the 25-year-old maintains the best scoring rate, averaging 0.89 goals per game.
Other top scorers in terms of efficiency include Thierry Henry (0.68 goals per game with 175 goals in 258 matches), Harry Kane (0.67 with 213 goals in 320 matches), Sergio Aguero (0.67 with 184 goals in 275 matches), Mohamed Salah (0.62 with 188 goals in 304 matches), and Alan Shearer (0.59 with 260 goals in 441 matches). Shearer also holds the record for most Premier League goals overall. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's efficiency rate in the league stands at 0.44 (103 goals in 236 matches).
Haaland also reached 50 Premier League goals at home in 50 matches. Shearer achieved this feat slightly faster, needing only 47 matches.
Haaland joined Man City from Dortmund in 2022 and is enjoying one of his best starts to a season. In addition to 5 goals in the first 4 Premier League matches, the 25-year-old also scored the decisive goal in Norway's 1-0 win over Finland and 5 goals in their 11-1 victory against Moldova.
Man City currently sits sixth in the Premier League with two wins and two losses. However, for Haaland personally, things are looking positive. Norway currently leads Group I of the European World Cup qualifiers with a perfect 15 points and a goal difference of +21 after five matches. Italy is second with 9 points and a goal difference of +5 after four matches.
In their remaining three matches against Israel, Estonia, and Italy, Norway needs just two wins and to avoid a heavy defeat in the remaining match to secure a World Cup spot. If two teams are tied on points, goal difference is the primary tiebreaker. The group winner qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the runner-up enters the playoffs.
Thanh Quy (TT)
