Forgive yourself if you’ve lost count – Erling Haaland himself probably has by now. Numbers are not necessary to conclude this is one of the finest goal-scoring seasons in English history.
But here they are, for the record. Haaland’s league tally of 27 would have won him the Golden Boot in 19 of 30 Premier League seasons and, going back further, he would have topped the scoring charts in 71 of 141 English top-flight campaigns.
In more local context, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero – perhaps the finest player to wear the shirt – never hit 27 league goals in one season. Haaland’s tally is now the best of any City player since Francis Lee’s 33 in 1971-72.
So if you wondered what Haaland brings to this team, a genuine question posed many times in recent weeks, there’s your answer.
The Norwegian scored one and assisted another as City put in their most convincing and complete performance of 2023. Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden made a rare start and both added goals in a thumping win on the south coast.
Man City thrashed Bournemouth 4-1 to cut Arsenal’s lead to two points at the top of the table
Julian Alvarez opened the scoring to put City 1-0 up after tapping home from close range
It was the Argentine’s first away goal in the Premier League and he impressed in the front-line
Erling Haaland doubled City’s advantage soon after after also firing from close range
Haaland has never been the problem as City have struggled with inconsistency since the World Cup break – it’s been the lack of help from elsewhere on the pitch, and a defence that has uncharacteristically leaked chances and goals.
City came here on the back of a pair of 1-1 draws, taking the lead and conceding from their opponents’ first shot on target in both, so Pep Guardiola opted to change his system again.
The Haaland conundrum rumbled on in the week as the Catalan boss must solve how to simultaneously get the best out of his striker without disrupting the fluidity of the other 10 men.
Normally on the back of uncertain form, Guardiola bemuses us all with a funky formation and the early stages here looked like a variation of the old-school 4-4-2, with Julian Alvarez complementing Haaland, and Phil Foden high and wide on the right flank.
All three combined for City’s first goal on 15 minutes, to end any fears that it would be another long evening trying to break down a stubborn five-man defence.
Rico Lewis showed brilliant reading of the game to win the ball high up the pitch and captain Ilkay Gundogan dinked a delightful pass to Foden. The Englishman was thwarted by Neto, then the bar denied Haaland, but Alvarez was there to easily tap home.
Ruben Dias came close with a diving header minutes later as City continued to dominate and Bournemouth’s defenders took it in turns with crucial interceptions as Gundogan and Alvarez repeatedly looked for Haaland’s darting runs in behind.
The Norwegian looked hungry here and Alvarez’s presence alongside him might be no coincidence. City have often preferred safe passes in order to control recent games but, here, the first thing on midfielders’ mind often seemed to be, ‘Where’s Erling?’.
It was Haaland’s 27th Premier League goal this season as he continues a remarkable campaign
Phil Foden made it three on the stroke of half-time after a disastrous pass from Philip Billing
City went 4-0 ahead after Chris Mepham turned into his own net following a fierce Alvarez shot
The striker thought he had his second, but it was rightfully adjudged as an own goal instead
Foden’s goal was an important one for him after struggling for form and gametime recently
Haaland’s goal was like many of his album of hits this season: right place, right time. Like Lewis for the first goal, it came from fine work from a full-back, Nathan Ake setting in motion a zapping move that culminated in Foden teeing up Haaland for a tap-in.
It’s been a tough few months for Foden, who has been jettisoned from the team first through injury then attitude problems. But on his 200th City performance, the 22-year-old shone and soon added a goal of his own after intercepting a stray Philip Billing pass.
Alvarez celebrated what he thought was his second goal of the evening when his half-volley deflected off Chris Mepham for 4-0 to City, but his shot was going wide and it was awarded as an own goal. The World Cup winner didn’t care.
From there, this was a procession to three points for City, whose fans sang their rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. After trips to Nottingham, Leipzig and Bournemouth in a week – with another to Bristol in the FA Cup on Tuesday – the lyrics felt quite apt.
Ilkay Gundogan pulled the strings for City in the first half from an advanced midfield role
The visitors were rampant and simply outclassed their hosts in every single department
Pep Guardiola’s side came into the game under pressure, having drawn two games in a week
Bournemouth fans, on the other hand, had little to sing about. Jefferson Lerma pulled one back on 83 minutes but that was the first time they seriously threatened Ederson’s goal. Until then, their biggest cheer of the evening came to applaud former player Ake.
Part of that was down to the ruthlessness of Guardiola’s side. Chances continued to come City’s way but this was a complete performance at both ends of the pitch, with Dias – wearing the captain’s armband by the end – putting in a fine display on and off the ball.
After the fourth of five away games in a fortnight, Guardiola used his substitutions to rest his key men, with debutant Maximo Perrone replacing Haaland and minutes given to fringe players Kalvin Phillips and Sergio Gomez.
As Haaland trudged off, the away end serenaded and saluted him with Norwegian chants and songs of, ‘Erling Haaland, he’s scored more than you’, a nod to him out-scoring Bournemouth – and seven other Premier League teams – this season.
Jefferson Lerma fired home a late goal for the hosts to give their fans something to cheer
Kalvin Phillips was given a rare outing by Guardiola as he came on as a second half substitute
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
