Despite leading the Premier League scoring charts with nine goals in seven matches, Erling Haaland is, by his own extraordinary standards, having one of his slower starts to a season. His current tally is surpassed only by his own previous campaigns, where he netted 11 goals in 2022/23 and 10 in 2024/25 after the same number of games. In fact, no player in the Premier League era has ever outscored Haaland’s current start except for Haaland himself.
However, the raw goal count may be deceptive, as there is a growing consensus that the Norwegian striker has elevated his overall game. It’s a sentiment Haaland himself shares. After scoring the decisive goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Brentford, he told reporters, “Yes, you can say so. I’ve never felt better than I do now.”
His recent form supports this claim. The goal against Brentford marked the first time in his career he had scored in nine consecutive appearances for club and country. He extended that streak to ten during the subsequent international break with a hat-trick for Norway against Israel, a feat that also took him past 50 international goals. In total, his last 10 matches have yielded an astonishing 19 goals and three assists.
A key aspect of his improved form appears to be his physicality. His winner at Brentford, where he shrugged off two defenders before finishing, was a prime example. That goal also meant he has now scored at 22 of the 23 Premier League stadiums he has played in—the highest ratio (96%) in the competition’s history. Pundit Gary Neville described the goal as “brute strength,” likening it to “an old-fashioned centre-forward beating up a centre-back.”
Haaland thrives on such physical confrontations, admitting that the aggressive defending he faced from Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg motivated him. This enjoyment of the physical battle is also evident in his intense duels with Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães, where he often occupies multiple defenders single-handedly.
Statistically, Haaland’s involvement in general play remains minimal, averaging just 24.2 touches per 90 minutes. However, this is contextualised by his immense work rate. He ranks in the top ten among forwards for both total distance covered (66.3km) and pressures applied (477), demonstrating a relentless off-the-ball effort.
Furthermore, a significant portion of his touches (69.6%) come under high pressure, with an opponent within two metres. Yet this constant defensive attention barely affects his output. In the penalty area, Haaland is more lethal than ever. He is currently averaging a career-best 1.36 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League, all from open play. Key metrics show a clear improvement: he is taking more shots (4.4 per 90), his Expected Goals (xG) are higher than ever (1.16 per 90), and the quality of his chances (0.27 xG per shot) has also peaked, indicating he is consistently finding better goalscoring positions.
While the evidence points to a striker at the peak of his powers, a note of caution is warranted. In the 2024/25 season, Haaland also began impressively before his form tapered off. Whether he can maintain this blistering start will be crucial to Manchester City’s title ambitions, but for now, the signs are ominous for defences across the league.
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