Erling Haaland’s prolific scoring continued on Saturday as he bagged his second consecutive hat-trick, propelling Manchester City to a comfortable 3-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium. The Norwegian striker’s performance not only secured the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side but also extended their perfect start to the Premier League season, solidifying their position at the top of the table with three wins from three games.
Haaland missed a golden opportunity early on, but he made amends in the 10th minute. Bernardo Silva, after dispossessing Lucas Paqueta in midfield, set Haaland up with a perfect pass. The Norwegian striker calmly slotted the ball past Alphonse Areola to put City ahead.
West Ham, however, equalised against the run of play in the 18th minute. Ruben Dias, attempting to clear a cross from Jarrod Bowen, inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net.
Haaland, however, was not to be denied. He restored City’s lead in the 30th minute with a powerful shot from close range that left Areola with no chance. The striker then turned provider in the 38th minute, playing a deft pass to Rico Lewis, who, unfortunately, blasted his shot over the bar. Kevin De Bruyne almost added a third just before halftime, but his free-kick from the edge of the box skimmed the roof of the net.
West Ham almost equalised shortly after halftime through a quick break. Mohammed Kudus’s shot hit the post, galvanizing the home crowd and giving West Ham a brief moment of hope. However, Haaland put the game beyond doubt in the 83rd minute. He charged onto a through ball from Matheus Nunes, calmly lifted his shot over the substitute goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, and secured his hat-trick.
The goal was Haaland’s seventh in three games this season and his 70th Premier League strike in just 69 appearances, highlighting his remarkable goal-scoring prowess. He almost scored a fourth in added time, but Fabianski saved his shot from a tight angle. Ederson, City’s goalkeeper, denied Crysencio Summerville a consolation goal in the closing stages of the game.
With this win, Manchester City has opened up a two-point lead at the top of the table over last season’s runners-up, Arsenal, who drew 1-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. West Ham, meanwhile, has three points from their opening three games.
