QUITE SIMPLY, THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES.

Last June, when news broke that Manchester City had acquired the services of the then Borussia Dortmund frontman, an ominous tone instantly reverberated around the Premier League arena. Although champions in four of the previous five seasons, and accruing five other major domestic honours within this time frame, Pep Guardiola’s trophy-winning juggernaut had often been forced to operate without a central focal point in attack. An ageing Sergio Agüero and an industrious if not prolific Gabriel Jesus attempted to plug this vacuum, but neither managed to quite produce a prolonged period of goalscoring form. For many, the inability to regularly field a recognized centre-forward was the reason why European glory – despite their recent dominance of one of the continent’s most competitive leagues – had so far eluded them. Enter Erling Haaland. The Norwegian was to provide the final piece in the jigsaw, the last brushstroke of Guardiola’s elegant tapestry, as City would consolidate their hegemony in England, and eventually add Europe’s ultimate prize to an increasingly bustling trophy cabinet.

Already considered one of the planet’s hottest prospects, most assumed Haaland would hit the ground running following his summer switch from the Bundesliga outfit. However, few could have predicted the extent of his contribution in the opening weeks of the new campaign. With just nine league games under his belt, the Leeds-born attacker had registered 15 goals, grabbing a brace on his debut and an astonishing three hat-tricks – including one in a thumping Manchester derby victory over Erik ten Hag’s men – in a scintillating start to the season.

Suddenly, City’s creative players had a clear and obvious outlet, an unapologetically direct striker who could apply a clinical finishing touch to their dynamic build-up play. Now, Kevin De Bruyne’s killer through balls, Bernardo Silva’s intricately woven passes, and Riyad Mahrez’s curling crosses would be met by a player with an insatiable desire to get himself on the score sheet. Could anyone stop this irresistible attacking force from earning Manchester City yet another Premier League title?

F or a long while, it seemed Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal might be the ones to thwart them. Just after the turn of the year, the Gunners were leading the title-chasing pack, eight points clear at the summit. Fast-forward to late May, and City entered the final day of the season holding the same points advantage that the North Londoners had enjoyed during January, having already being announced champions following Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest the weekend prior. It was no coincidence that Manchester City were at their imperious best in the initial and conclusive stages of the season, precisely when Haaland was in the midst of a goalscoring purple patch. True, the Citizens’ proclivity for performing well when it matters most – particularly at the business end of the season – is certainly not a new phenomenon, but the stats underline just how integral Haaland has been to Manchester City’s success this term.

Clearly, the ex-Molde forward is still a relatively fresh face on the Premier League circuit. However, if Haaland does opt to extend his stay on these shores for the foreseeable future, then, save a miraculous sustained dip in form or City ceding their seemingly impregnable domestic supremacy

ERLING HAALAND

(assuming he avoids the currently unthinkable and remains at the Etihad), it seems Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record – which stands at 260 goals – will inevitably come under severe threat. At just 22 years of age, and having only amassed an extremely modest number of English top-flight appearances, this may seem a bold, if not slightly reckless, prediction. However, given the nature of Haaland’s performances and the sheer scale of his impact, this must already be considered a reasonable assertion.

Throughout the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Haaland averaged more than a goal per game; if the striker was to replicate this form over the next seven seasons, he would easily surpass Shearer’s tally – even if he was to suffer infrequent spells on the sidelines through injury, suspension, or otherwise. Realistically, England skipper Harry Kane – the sole active representative in the Premier League’s top ten goalscorer list – is the only other player who could challenge Shearer’s extraordinary record, having found the net on 213 occasions so far. Nevertheless, even the 29-year-old Spurs forward cannot compete with Haaland’s scoring productivity, despite averaging a goal every 126 minutes across his twelve Premier League campaigns to press. Indeed, even if Kane does chase down the ex-Newcastle United ace, it appears Haaland will be waiting menacingly in the wings to claim top spot later down the line.

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