Erling Haaland is at it again. The Norwegian goal machine struck twice as Manchester City brushed aside Everton 2-0 at the Etihad to move top of the Premier League. It was ruthless, clinical and exactly what Pep Guardiola demanded after a cagey first half.
Fresh from a hat-trick for Norway, Haaland carried his red-hot form into club duty, taking his tally to an astonishing 23 goals in 13 games for club and country this season. The striker was quiet early on, almost lurking in the shadows, but when his chance came he pounced with trademark precision.
After an hour of frustration for the home crowd, Haaland rose like a lion to meet Nico O’Reilly’s teasing cross and powered home the opener. Five minutes later he doubled the lead, sweeping in from Savinho’s cutback that took a slight touch off James Tarkowski. From there, the Etihad roared and Everton were finished.
Before City’s breakthrough, it was the visitors who had looked the more dangerous. David Moyes’ side were full of energy, pressing high and forcing errors. Iliman Ndiaye, the lively Senegalese forward, was at the heart of everything. He intercepted a sloppy Nathan Ake pass but his low cross flashed just beyond Beto. Moments later, a thunderous Ndiaye strike was brilliantly tipped over by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Everton’s luck was summed up when Jake O’Brien almost put through his own net, his header clattering the bar with Jordan Pickford stranded. City offered flashes through Savinho, who twice tested Pickford before Haaland’s inevitable eruption turned the tide.
This was classic Haaland. One sniff of goal, one ruthless finish. Then another. He has failed to score in just one of his 13 matches this term and looks possessed by the desire to reclaim City’s dominance after last season’s trophyless campaign.
He could have had yet another hat-trick late on but Pickford stood tall twice in one-on-one situations. Still, the damage was done. City’s full-backs Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes bombed forward with menace as the champions-in-waiting began to purr.
Guardiola will be thrilled not just by the result but by the return of key names. Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Mateo Kovacic all made comebacks from injury, adding depth as the fixtures pile up.
For Moyes, it was another grim day against the big boys. He remains winless in 37 matches against sides who finished in the Premier League’s top three. Everton’s barren run against City now stretches to 17 league meetings since that 4-0 hammering in Guardiola’s first season.
City march on, unbeaten in eight across all competitions and top once more. And as long as Haaland keeps firing, the rest of the league can only watch in fear.