Manchester City showcased a dominant display as they cruised to a resounding 5-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their English Premier League (EPL) clash at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with Erling Haaland stealing the show with four goals.
The defending EPL champions continued their relentless pursuit of retaining the title, with Haaland spearheading their attacking prowess. The Norwegian sensation found the back of the net twice in each half, including two penalties, as the Citizens overwhelmed managerless Wolves.
Haaland wasted no time making an impact, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute. He followed it up with a powerful header just past the half-hour mark to double City’s advantage.
The prolific striker completed his hat trick late in the first half, converting his second penalty of the day with precision. With this feat, Haaland notched his ninth hat trick in less than two seasons at the club, solidifying his position as the top scorer in the EPL with 25 goals.
Although Hwang Hee-Chan briefly reduced the deficit for the visitors with a goal nine minutes after the restart, Haaland quickly restored City’s three-goal lead two minutes later with a thunderous rising shot, securing his fourth goal of the match.
Julian Alvarez added to the Wolves’ misery by slotting home late on after being played through on goal, sealing a commanding performance for Man City.
Despite the victory, Pep Guardiola’s side remains second in the league table with 82 points from 35 matches, just one point behind leaders Arsenal, who secured a 3-0 win against Bournemouth earlier in the day, having played one match more.
In other EPL action, Newcastle United boosted their European football hopes with a convincing 4-1 victory over Burnley, pushing the Clarets closer to relegation. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest enhanced their survival chances with a 3-1 away win against Sheffield United.