Another Haaland hat-trick and defenders beware - he's 'ready for more'

One week connected from Pep Guardiola describing Erling Haaland's scoring statistic arsenic "ridiculous", nan Manchester City striker near his head speechless aft a breathtaking accumulation of objective finishing astatine West Ham United.

He deed a hat-trick - his 2nd successful a week - arsenic nan defending champions won 3-1 astatine London Stadium to support their cleanable commencement to nan caller Premier League season.

Haaland has scored 7 goals successful Manchester City's 3 games truthful acold - 4 much than immoderate different player.

It is his champion commencement to a play during his clip successful England - amended than erstwhile he scored an unthinkable 36 convention goals successful his debut campaign.

And, worryingly for his rivals, Haaland is emotion amended than ever aft a summertime disconnected football.

"I consciousness good, I consciousness energised," he said.

"I had a agelong picnic and pre-season. Now I'm fresh for more."

Guardiola described Haaland's numbers arsenic ridiculous, and he is not exaggerating.

The caller play has only conscionable sewage going but already his statistic make for unthinkable reading:

No wonderment Guardiola is moving retired of ways to picture his prima strike.

"No words for him," nan Manchester City leader said aft nan West Ham win.

"All we tin do is make him play amended and amended and springiness him arsenic galore balls arsenic imaginable to nan box.

"It's what we person to do."

Guardiola besides hinted that we are seeing thing of a Haaland 2.0.

The striker, who had nan summertime disconnected from immoderate shot pinch Norway failing to suffice for Euro 2024, has ever been a deadly goalscorer - but nw appears to person developed different aspects of his game.

"He scored 3 goals coming but he didn't suffer 1 ball," added Guardiola.

"Today is 1 of nan games wherever he has played nan champion successful each situations. When you spot nan games and spot what we want to do, he understands because he is simply a smart guy."

"I deliberation nan break successful nan summertime did him a world of good," added erstwhile Manchester City defender Micah Richards connected Sky Sports.

"His energy, his assemblage connection has been outstanding."

Haaland is racing towards nan landmark of 100 convention goals for Manchester City.

His treble connected Saturday took him to 70 goals successful 69 games and was besides his 11th hat-trick for nan defending champions.

All 3 finishes against West Ham were different, too. He calmly picked his spot to slot successful nan first, hammered his 2nd into nan tile of nan nett past strode distant to decorativeness one-on-one for his third.

"The first extremity was a point of beauty," erstwhile Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp said connected Sky Sports. "That was a beast. Beauty and nan beast today.

"What's terrifying for each defender is that he looks amended than ever. He looks assured and he looks happy.

"Every subordinate smiles erstwhile they person nan hat-trick shot but you could spot it earlier nan game. Last season, he scored loads of goals but they were harder to travel by."

Haaland is averaging 2.3 goals per crippled this season. Project that complete nan full run and it would adjacent 89 goals.

Even Haaland will - surely - beryllium incapable to support that benignant of scoring rate, but it does item conscionable really deadly he has been truthful far.

"His ruthlessness successful beforehand of extremity is why he has scored truthful many," Richards added.

"It's extraordinary. He's 1 of nan champion I've ever seen."