Erling Haaland has achieved yet another milestone, reaching 100 goal involvements in the Premier League faster than any player in history.
The Norwegian striker hit the landmark during Manchester City's 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday, converting a penalty to take his tally to 84 goals and 16 assists in just 94 appearances.
Haaland surpasses the previous record set by Alan Shearer, who required 100 matches to reach the same milestone. The pair remain the only players to have achieved the feat within their third Premier League season.
Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund for £51.2 million in June 2022 and has since established himself as one of the most prolific forwards in English football.
Unlike Shearer, whose early years in the old First Division do not contribute to the record, Haaland's Premier League journey has been remarkably efficient. Other legendary forwards, including Sergio Aguero, Thierry Henry, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Les Ferdinand, and Matt Le Tissier, reached the 100 mark in their fourth season.
Meanwhile, Eric Cantona, Mohamed Salah (including his Chelsea stint), and Andy Cole required five seasons, while Harry Kane achieved the feat in his sixth campaign.
Haaland's goal contribution has been predominantly through scoring. His 84 goals vastly outweigh his 16 assists, making him the most goal-focused player to reach the milestone. Only former Tottenham striker Harry Kane had fewer assists (13) before reaching 100 goal involvements.
Conversely, Cantona led the creative charts at this stage with 42 assists, followed by Southampton icon Le Tissier with 38.
Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot in his first two seasons with Manchester City, but his goal output has slowed this campaign. With 20 goals in 27 matches, he currently trails Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who leads the scoring charts with 27 goal involvements (17 goals and 10 assists).
After netting 10 times in City's first five games—matching the best start to an English top-flight season since Aston Villa's Pongo Waring in 1930—Haaland’s scoring rate has dipped. He is averaging a goal or assist every 103 minutes this season, a notable decline from his first season’s record of 63 minutes and last season’s 80-minute average.
Haaland has enjoyed particular success against certain Premier League teams. He boasts an exceptional record against Manchester United, with six goals and three assists in five appearances. Against West Ham, he has struck nine times in six games, albeit without an assist.
His dominance extends to Wolves (eight goal involvements in five games), Crystal Palace (six in four), as well as Fulham and Brighton (six in five each).
With his latest achievement secured, Haaland now turns his attention to another significant milestone: 100 Premier League goals.
Shearer remains the fastest player to reach the landmark, scoring his 100th goal for Blackburn Rovers in his 124th appearance. Haaland, currently on 84, has 30 matches to find 16 more goals and break another record in his extraordinary career.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1147 HRS, MAR 16, 2025
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