Erling Haaland surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo’s Premier League goal-scoring record with brace vs. West Ham

Erling Haaland continues to demonstrate week after week a goal-scoring ability that can only be compared to the great legends in soccer history. This weekend, the striker surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s Premier League goal record.

At Etihad Stadium, Manchester City defeated West Ham United 3-0 in Matchday 17 of the English league. Haaland was once again decisive for his team’s victory, scoring the opener in the 5th minute and putting the finishing touch on the score with the third goal in the second half. He also assisted Tijjani Reijnders for the second goal.

With his brace on Saturday, Erling Haaland reached 104 Premier League goals, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 103 goals during his two spells with Manchester United.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the short time it took the Norwegian striker to reach this milestone. CR7 needed 236 matches over seven and a half years with the Red Devils to reach 103 goals, averaging 0.44 goals per game. Haaland, by contrast, achieved 104 goals in just 114 matches since 2022, with an impressive average of 0.91 goals per game.

Haaland on track to be Premier League top scorer this season

Erling Haaland’s two goals against West Ham United allowed him to extend his lead in the Premier League’s top scorers table. He now leads the ranking with 19 goals in 17 matches, ahead of Brentford’s Igor Thiago (11) and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo (8).

At this pace, the Manchester City striker is on course to win the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time in four years. He previously claimed the award in 2023 and 2024, while last year he was surpassed by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Haaland is also competing against himself to break the record for most goals in a single Premier League season. He currently holds the record with 36 goals in the 2022–23 campaign. Before his arrival at Manchester City, the record was shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, both with 34 goals. However, that record was set during a 42-game season, compared to the current 38 matches, which highlights Haaland’s achievement even more.

Can Haaland become the Premier League’s all-time top scorer?

Erling Haaland’s 104 Premier League goals place him 32nd in the league’s historical scorers list, tied with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. His closest rival is Darren Bent with 106, while further up are Paul Scholes (107), Peter Crouch (108), and Ryan Giggs (109).

Among active players, Haaland ranks third. Only Raheem Sterling (123) and Mohamed Salah (190) are ahead of him. Being clearly the youngest of the three, Haaland has a strong chance of surpassing both, provided he stays in England long enough.

However, if Haaland’s ultimate goal is to become the Premier League’s all-time top scorer, he still has a long way to go. Alan Shearer leads the list with 260 goals in 441 matches for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. At his current pace, the Manchester City striker would need about five more years to reach that milestone.