Haaland’s Hat-Trick Blitz: Defenders Take Note as He Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Just a week after Pep Guardiola labeled Erling Haaland’s goal-scoring feats as “ridiculous,” the Manchester City striker proved his manager’s words all too true with a stunning display of finishing prowess at West Ham United. Haaland netted a hat-trick—his second in just seven days—securing a 3-1 victory at the London Stadium and helping City maintain their flawless start to the Premier League season.

In just three matches, Haaland has already scored seven goals, outpacing every other Premier League player by a substantial margin. This incredible start surpasses even his debut season in England, where he famously notched 36 league goals.

Haaland’s summer break seems to have rejuvenated him. “I feel good, I feel energized,” Haaland said. “I had a long vacation and pre-season. Now I’m ready for more.”

Outshining Teams: Haaland’s Remarkable Statistics

Haaland’s stats are not just impressive—they’re historic. His seven goals in three games have him outscoring entire teams across the Premier League. In fact, he has surpassed the total goals scored by Burnley and Sheffield United combined from last season, and has outscored 51 of the 72 teams in the English Football League, who have all played an extra match.

He’s also matched a 30-year-old record, becoming the first player since Bradford City’s Paul Jewell in the 1994-95 season to score two hat-tricks in a club’s opening three matches. Guardiola, who has struggled to find adequate words to describe Haaland’s performance, emphasized the need to keep providing him opportunities. “No words for him,” Guardiola remarked after the win against West Ham. “All we can do is make him play better and better and give him as many balls as possible in the box.”

Haaland 2.0: A More Complete Forward

Guardiola hinted at a new dimension to Haaland’s game. While the Norwegian has always been a prolific scorer, he now appears to have enhanced other aspects of his play. “He scored three goals today but he didn’t lose one ball,” Guardiola noted. “Today is one of the games where he has played the best in all situations. When you see the games and see what we want to do, he understands because he is a smart guy.”

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards also weighed in on Haaland’s form. “The break in the summer did him a world of good,” Richards said on Sky Sports. “His energy, his body language has been outstanding.”

Haaland’s Quest for the Century Mark

With his hat-trick on Saturday, Haaland now has 70 goals in just 69 games for Manchester City and has achieved 11 hat-tricks for the defending champions. Each of his goals against West Ham showcased his versatility: a precise first, a powerful second, and a composed third.

“The first goal was a thing of beauty,” praised former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp. “That was a beast. Beauty and the beast today.” Redknapp also highlighted Haaland’s confidence and happiness, noting that he appears to be in even better form than last season.

The Numbers Game

Haaland is currently averaging 2.3 goals per game this season. If he maintains this rate, it would project to an astonishing 89 goals over the entire campaign. While such a scoring rate might be unsustainable, it underscores just how lethal Haaland has been so far.

Richards described Haaland’s finishing as “extraordinary” and lauded him as one of the best he has ever seen. “His ruthlessness in front of goal is why he has scored so many,” Richards added. “It’s extraordinary.”

As the season progresses, defenders across the Premier League will need to come up with new strategies to handle Haaland’s relentless scoring. For now, the Norwegian striker looks unstoppable and is clearly ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.