Erling Haaland breaks EPL record as Manchester City defeat West Ham

Manchester City triumphed over West Ham with a 3-0 win last night with record-breaking Erling Haaland on the scoresheet as they returned to the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table while Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory against Fulham. City’s Haaland set a new EPL record, scoring his 35th goal in a single Premier League season and notching his 51st goal in all competitions during his debut season with the team.

Despite a stronger-than-expected resistance by West Ham, City managed to edge one point ahead of Arsenal in the title race, having a game in hand over the Gunners. Haaland, a 22 year old Norwegian football star, expressed his focus on staying grounded amidst his record-breaking accomplishments.

West Ham had to overcome the absence of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, and Nayef Aguerd due to illness, and David Moyes, the manager, could only name five outfield substitutes. The team’s defensive efforts failed after 50 minutes, leaving them entrenched in a relegation battle.

Nathan Ake scored City’s first goal, followed by Haaland, who broke past the 34-goal record set by Alan Shearer for Blackburn and Andy Cole for Newcastle in the 1990s. Nonetheless, Haaland still falls short of the all-time English top-flight scoring record of 60 goals set by Everton’s Dixie Dean in the 1927/28 season.

Phil Foden added to City’s tally, solidifying their 13th consecutive home win in 2023 and continuing their journey toward a fifth Premier League title in six seasons. To secure the title, City requires only four wins from their remaining five games, preventing Arsenal from claiming their first title in 19 years.

Meanwhile, at Anfield, Liverpool’s quest for a top-four finish continued as they exerted pressure on Newcastle and Manchester United with their fifth consecutive league win this season. Mohamed Salah scored his 29th goal of the season, which helped Liverpool to reduce their gap with fourth-placed Manchester United to four points, although Liverpool’s rival still has two games in hand.