Haaland’s Golden Boot quest off to great start after hat-trick vs. Ipswich

Erling Haaland has begun the campaign in exceptional fashion after his hat-trick against Ipswich Town lifted his tally to four goals in two Premier League outings.

The Norwegian converted a penalty and cushioned the ball into the far corner to help Manchester City vanquish Ipswich’s opener and race into a 3-1 lead Saturday, but he had to wait until the 88th minute to claim his third goal. He caught Arijanet Muric out at his near post with an early shot from around 25 yards to seal a 4-1 victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Haaland now has seven Premier League hat-tricks. That puts him level with Manchester United great Wayne Rooney despite having played 423 fewer matches in England’s top tier. He also has 10 trebles in all competitions for City.

He’s targeting a third straight Golden Boot in the Premier League, which is something only Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry have managed.

Sammie Szmodics collected Ben Johnson’s pass thanks to a well-timed run and slotted the ball through Ederson’s legs for Ipswich’s surprise seventh-minute opener.

Kevin De Bruyne profited after Savinho pinched the ball from the hapless Muric to score from outside the box between Haaland’s first two finishes. The Belgian midfielder and Rico Lewis also smacked the crossbar in the opening half.

Ilkay Gundogan was introduced from the bench to a rapturous reception from the home fans after his return to the club from Barcelona. But it was Haaland who stole the show with yet another clinical display, lifting his overall City haul to 94 goals in 101 appearances.