The Norwegian filled his boots to effectively ensure he will be collecting the Premier League's Golden Boot for a second year in a row
Never doubt Erling Haaland. That was the lesson from his striking masterclass in a devastating 5-1 win over a helpless Wolves side. The Norwegian plundered four goals, effectively guaranteeing he will be winning the Premier League's Golden Boot for a second season, and he went a long way to ensuring he and his team-mates will be lifting the title yet again.
Haaland had missed the FA Cup semi-final with a small injury but by scoring from the bench last weekend at Nottingham Forest, he gave a warning that he was getting ready for the final stretch of the season after a patchy few weeks by his own sky-high standards.
He was utterly ruthless against Wolves, bagging a hat-trick in the first half alone with two penalties, one which he had earned himself, and a header. But his fourth strike, which came just after Hwang Hee-chan had pulled one back for Wolves, summed up Haaland in all his glory.
He received the ball from Phil Foden outside the area and after a couple of loose touches he brought the ball onto his left foot, unleashing the mother of all strikes into the far corner of the net. Upon seeing the net bulge, he barely moved.
The crowd wanted more and so did Haaland but he was removed with seven minutes to go. But his replacement Julian Alvarez carried the baton well, duly scoring the fifth.
GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Ederson (4/10):
Made a quick return after hurting his shoulder last week but looked a little shaky, flapping at the cross which led to Wolves' goal.
Kyle Walker (6/10):
Commanded the defence expertly for most of the game although he could have done more to block Hwang's goal.
Manuel Akanji (7/10):
His frequent trips into midfield gave City total control of the game.
Nathan Ake (6/10):
Physically dominant.
Josko Gvardiol (7/10):
Keeps improving and becoming more and more involved in attacking moves. Earned the first penalty.
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Bernardo Silva (7/10):
His incisive dribbling and passing always had Wolves on the back foot.
Rodri (6/10):
Looked fresher than in recent weeks and always in control of the game. His cross set up Haaland's header.
Mateo Kovacic (6/10):
Helped Rodri out with defensive duties, allowing the Spaniard more freedom to roam.
Getty ImagesAttack
Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):
Wanted to get more involved than he did but still contributed to the mauling.
Erling Haaland (10/10):
Back to doing what he does best: scoring a bucket-load of goals. He now has 25 for the Premier League season.
Phil Foden (7/10):
The second most dangerous player behind Haaland and after many attempts he served him the fourth goal with a lovely through ball.
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John Stones (6/10):
Got some much-needed minutes after missing too much of the season with fitness problems.
Matheus Nunes (5/10):
Should have done better with his attempt on goal against his former club.
Jack Grealish (6/10):
Had an easy task but did everything right.
Jeremy Doku (N/A):
Looked lively but didn't get enough power on his one effort on goal.
Julian Alvarez (N/A):
Only had seven minutes on the pitch but it was enough to score.
Pep Guardiola (7/10):
It was an easy-looking fixture but he made sure his side did not take it easy and once the job was done, he flooded the pitch with substitutes to keep his charges sharp for Fulham next week.