Premier League defenders should be on greater alert this campaign as City’s Erling Haaland is already more menacing even early in the season.
It’s absolutely incredible that the Norwegian goalscoring dynamo is now going at a scoring rate better than a goal per game in the Premier League.
Haaland made it back-to-back hat-tricks in the top flight – and his eighth in the competition – with his brilliant treble at West Ham on Saturday Night Football and the consensus among the Sky Sports pundits is that the two-time Golden Boot winner is already scaling new heights.
“What’s terrifying for every Premier League defender is he looks better than ever,” said Jamie Redknapp.
“Body language is a big thing. Last year he scored loads of goals but it felt like it was more hard work, the goals looked tougher to come by.
“Today it was a full repertoire: he caresses in the first, he bludgeons the second and the third one, he’s full of confidence and dinks it over the ‘keeper.”
“Last season not even once was he there because he didn’t feel good – tired, niggles.”
Fit, fresh and a raging inferno, Haaland at only 24 looks to be just coming into his peak years.
“How are we going to stop this guy? I don’t know,” said Redknapp.
Premier League defenders will no doubt be quaking in their boots thinking the same thing.