Is Haaland the best striker in the world? Your views and analysis

'I want to help the team become a better football team'

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

Manchester City

Let's hear from the man himself.

Erling Haaland told Sky Sports that his first thought is for the team, when asked if he felt unstoppable right now: "I didn't score last game [before Bournemouth].

"I try to help the team to win - that's my goal. Whether that's by scoring, helping or winning duels, it doesn't matter as long as we are winning games.

"I want to help the team become a better football team, that's my job."

Haaland close to smashing Shearer's record

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

Erling Haaland's double against Bournemouth means he has reached 98 Premier League goals and is just two away from reaching the Premier League 100 club.

He has reached that number in just 107 matches played.

Should he find those two goals in his next 16 Premier League games (I would say there is a solid chance), he will break Alan Shearer's record for the quickest player to reach 100 goals in the competition.

Shearer reached the century after 124 matches played.

Man City's top scorers in the Premier League

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

Unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland leads the way as Manchester City's top scorer in the Premier League this season.

Who's in second, you ask?

Burnley's Maxime Esteve.

No, seriously.

The Burnley defender scored two own goals in the match against City in September and no City player, other than Haaland, has so far found the net twice in England's top flight during the 2025-26 campaign.

City's top scorers:

Erling Haaland (13)

Maxime Esteve (2)*

Nico O'Reilly (1)

Matheus Nunes (1)

Phil Foden (1)

Rayan Cherki (1)

Tijjani Reijnders (1)

*Own goals from an opposition player

Haaland responsible for more than half of Man City's goals

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

Manchester City

Manchester City have scored 31 goals in all competitions so far in 2025-26.

Erling Haaland has scored 17 of them.

Percentage wise, that means the Norway forward is responsible for 55% of City's goals so far in this campaign.

No other player in the side has even managed three goals in all competitions.

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Erling Haaland does seem to be synonymous with numbers. He just keeps producing these endless stats of goalscoring brilliance.

The stats get trotted out so often, it's easy to overlook sometimes just how incredible his scoring feats have been since arriving in the Premier League.

However, a popular question that keeps cropping up is whether Manchester City have become too reliant on the big Norwegian?

Haaland's numbers are 'just outstanding' - Guardiola

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

There are no prizes for guessing which striker Pep Guardiola wants in his Manchester City team.

The Spaniard was full of praise for Erling Haaland in his post-match interview with BBC Sport on Sunday.

"We are so blessed and lucky to have, first of all, an incredible person because he is the sweetest and kindest person," said the City boss.

"He will keep improving. And, after that, as a player his numbers are just outstanding."

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

So much to upick from that Zac.

Firstly, being the only Gooner in Leeds sounds like a lonely existence, so if there are any other Arsenal supporters in that part of West Yorkshire, please do get in touch.

Secondly, Erling Haaland has more to his overall game than Harry Kane? It feels from past debates on these pages that the general argument was the other way around - that Kane had more to his game but Haaland was the supreme finisher.

Let's open this to the group...which way round is it folks?

Finally, a Gooner plumps for Haaland over Spurs legend Kane is not that surprising really, is it?

Again, let's open this to the group...would you rather have Haaland or Kane in your team? Or would you sidestep them both to pick Kylian Mbappe?

Haaland double helps Man City beat Bournemouth

Man City 3-1 Bournemouth

Shamoon Hafez

Football news reporter at Etihad Stadium

Erling Haaland was back on the scoresheet with two goals to help Manchester City return to winning ways in the Premier League and leapfrog Bournemouth into second place.

Pep Guardiola's side had suffered their first defeat in 10 games at Aston Villa last Sunday, with Haaland not finding the net for only the second time this season.

But the Norwegian's double proved crucial against the in-form Cherries as City moved six points behind leaders Arsenal.

The hosts went ahead in the 17th minute courtesy of Haaland, who latched on to Rayan Cherki's neat header on the halfway line and there was only going to be one outcome as the striker stroked home an unerring finish.

The visitors restored parity just eight minutes later when Tyler Adams reacted quickest to crash home following Gianluigi Donnarumma's miscued punch, although the goalkeeper felt he had been held by David Brooks at the corner and was booked for his protestations.

Haaland linked up again with Cherki before going around Djordje Petrovic and coolly converted his 13th league goal of the campaign - and 26 in all competitions for club and country.

And Nico O'Reilly burst forward at the other end on the hour mark before drilling in a precise, finish low into the corner to seal an impressive success.

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

And that brings us back to Manchester City.

They toiled to a third-place finish last season but Pep Guardiola has shepherded in a new era, clearing out some big names to make way for fresh talent.

It obviously helps, though, that Erling Haaland has stuck around - signing a new long-term contract in the spring - and is back firing on all cylinders...

Salah scores 250th Liverpool goal in win over Villa

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

Michael Emons

BBC Sport at Anfield

Mohamed Salah scored his 250th Liverpool goal as the Reds ended their four-game Premier League losing streak with victory over Aston Villa.

The 33-year-old Egyptian could not believe his luck when he was gifted the ball from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's poor clearance before firing low into the unguarded net in first-half added time.

Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, back after missing three games with an ankle injury, sealed the three points in the 58th minute with a 20-yard shot that deflected in off Pau Torres to leave Martinez with no chance.

Salah's goal meant he joined Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in becoming only the third Liverpool player to ever score 250 goals in all competitions for the club.

Comfortable Arsenal make it five league wins in a row

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Gary Rose

BBC Sport at Turf Moor

Premier League leaders Arsenal continued their impressive start to the season with a comfortable win at Burnley on Saturday to make it nine consecutive victories in all competitions.

Goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice sealed the win - their fifth in a row in the league.

It was an impressive victory against a Burnley side that can often prove difficult to break down and had recorded back-to-back victories before facing the Gunners.

But no side has scored more goals from set-pieces than Arsenal this season and it was from one that they took the lead, Gyokeres firing in from close range from Rice's corner.

The Gunners got their second before the break when Rice powerfully headed in Leandro Trossard's chipped ball.

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Right, for anyone whose weekend did not revolve around football, let's have a quick reminder how we got here, before switching our focus to the form of Manchester City and Erling Haaland.

Arsenal were up first, their match at Burnley one of five fixtures to kick off at 3pm on Saturday.

Next up were Liverpool, who welcomed in-form Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday evening.

And Manchester City closed off the weekend with the visit of second-placed Bournemouth to the Etihad...

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