MANCHESTER, Feb 26: Erling Haaland has already taken one of Sergio Aguero’s scoring records for Manchester City.
At this rate, surely more will fall.
With one of City’s goals in a routine 4-1 win at Bournemouth on Saturday, Haaland made it 27 for the season in the English Premier League. That’s more than any player has scored in a single campaign for City since the league started in 1992.
Aguero had the previous highest total of 26 in 2014-15, part of his record all-time haul of 260 for City in all competitions.
The scary thing about Haaland is that he still has 13 matches remaining in the league. He is closing in on Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah’s record haul of 32 in a 38-game season as well as the 34 of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer — achieved back when there were 42 games per season.
Haaland won’t score many easier goals than his finish from three meters at Vitality Stadium that helped City ease to a win to keep on the shoulder of Arsenal in the title race.
Arsenal earlier won at Leicester 1-0, a result that was more resounding than the scoreline suggested.
Arsenal stayed two points clear of second-placed City with a game to spare.
There was more movement at the bottom of the standings, with victories for Leeds and West Ham lifting both teams out of the relegation zone and dropping Everton and Bournemouth into it.
Easy for Arsenal
Arsenal looks to have gotten over its blip.
Since collecting one point from a three-game stretch that let City back into the title race, Arsenal has gained back-to-back wins on the road with manager Mikel Arteta saying the team has gone back to basics.
Gabriel Martinelli scored the 46th-minute winner at King Power Stadium, poking in a finish after running onto Leandro Trossard’s pass. Trossard and Bukayo Saka had goals disallowed either side of Martinelli’s strike.
It built on the 4-2 win at Aston Villa last week.
Easier for City
Haaland scored either side of Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden, with an own-goal by Chris Mepham wrapping up the scoring for City against Bournemouth.
It is six consecutive matches without a clean sheet for Pep Guardiola’s team, however, after Jefferson Lerma’s 83rd-minute strike for the hosts.
Liverpool held
After conceding five goals to Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Liverpool at least tightened up at the back in a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
Jurgen Klopp’s team was short of attacking inspiration, however, with Darwin Nunez out injured. Mohamed Salah curled a shot against the crossbar in a game of few real chances at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool moved up one place to seventh and is six points off the Champions League qualification positions with a game in hand.
Winning start
Javi Gracia launched his Leeds reign with a 1-0 win over Southampton in a match between teams who started as the bottom two.
Junior Firpo scored in the 77th minute to secure Leeds’ first win since December 26. Leeds jumped two places and out of the relegation zone, leaving Southampton rooted to last place and four points adrift of safety.
Bournemouth is in next-to-last place and on the same number of points as Everton, which was beaten at home by Aston Villa 2-0 thanks to goals by Ollie Watkins — who has scored in five straight games — and Emi Buendia.
West Ham started the day in third-to-last place but swept past Nottingham Forest with a 4-0 thrashing.
All of the goals came in the final 20 minutes, with Danny Ings scoring twice before Declan Rice and Michail Antonio added others. (AP)
