Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola labelled Erling Haaland “unstoppable” after the striker scored a second straight hat trick to set a new record for most goals through three games of a Premier League season.
After a treble in a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town a week ago, Haaland was at it again with all three City goals in their 3-1 victory at West Ham on Saturday to take his tally for the season to seven.
Haaland’s first was a sublime finish past Alphonse Areola after Bernardo Silva played him in one-on-one, while his second was a close-range thunderbolt that almost broke the net.
When he charged toward goal late on there was no doubting the outcome, so much so that City boss Pep Guardiola said he thinks defenders cannot deny Haaland even with extreme measures.
“The first goal, Bernardo wins the ball, pass the ball and finish or the third goal, with the space behind, it’s unstoppable,” Guardiola told reporters.
“There is no central defender, not even with a gun — it’s impossible, so fast, so powerful.”
The 24-year-old Norwegian’s 11th hat trick for City also meant he became just the second player in Premier League history, along with Harry Kane, to twice score hat tricks in consecutive games.
Guardiola said Haaland had struggled with niggles last season, when he was still the league’s top scorer with 27 goals, and was now an even more devastating player.
Haaland, who recorded his 70th Premier League goal in his 69th game, said he was feeling the benefits of having a rest.
“I feel good, I feel energised,” he told Sky Sports. “I had a long vacation and preseason. I feel good.
“The years I’ve been here have been really fast. Now I’ve got some rest in my body and my feet. Now I’m ready for more.”
Information from Reuters and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.