Haaland century makes EPL history in City's 9-goal thriller

Erling Haaland made history, as the Manchester City striker became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals in a remarkable 5-4 win against Fulham on Tuesday.

Haaland's clinical finish in the first half at Craven Cottage took him to his century in just 111 league appearances for City.

He shattered the previous record set by former Newcastle and Blackburn star Alan Shearer, who took 124 matches to reach 100 goals.

After Haaland's landmark, Phil Foden scored twice to help City race into a 5-1 lead.

But Fulham scored three times in a furious second-half fightback that fell just short when Josh King's shot was cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol in the final seconds.

Second-placed City moved within two points of leader Arsenal, which was set to host Brentford on Wednesday.

"It's incredible, impressive. He was outstanding, today he was unbelievable. He scored a fantastic goal. Hopefully, he's starving hungry to continue with this club to score more and more goals," City boss Pep Guardiola said of Haaland.

Yet, after squandering a two-goal advantage in its last-gasp 3-2 win against Leeds on Saturday, Guardiola was alarmed by the latest meltdown from his leaky defense.

"Of course, I was concerned. But this will help us in future games. Every game is a new team for some players. You have to make a process to start to correct," he said.

"I'm so old, and the players don't respect me! They don't have to treat their manager in that way.

"It only happens in this league. We played a fantastic game. Listen, there were some really positive things in what we have done. In the end, it was a question of character and resilience."

If City is to overtake Arsenal and win its seventh English title of the Guardiola era, it will need Haaland to maintain his astonishingly prolific form.

Haaland had failed to score in his previous three games against Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds.

The 25-year-old, signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, ended that mini-drought with the latest milestone in his glittering City career.

City survives

Haaland produced a sumptuous finish to put City ahead in the 17th minute, giving him 15 league goals this term and 20 in all competitions.

Jeremy Doku's precise cut-back arrowed toward Haaland, and he timed his run perfectly to unleash a ferocious blast that whistled past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno from 12 yards.

Haaland turned from scorer to provider in the 37th minute as City doubled its lead with another eye-catching effort.

Showing strength and poise in equal measure, Haaland worked space to clip a pinpoint pass through to Tijjani Reijnders, and the Dutch midfielder scooped a deft chip over Leno for his first goal since August.

Foden notched City's third in the 44th minute, lashing a superb strike into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Emile Smith Rowe reduced the deficit in first half stoppage-time, steering a header past Gianluigi Donnarumma from Harry Wilson's cross.

But Foden, who also scored twice against Leeds, is back in form, and the England star appeared to put the result beyond doubt three minutes after the interval.

The 25-year-old guided a composed finish past Leno from an acute angle, after Haaland flicked Doku's pass towards the forward.

City wasn't finished, and, in the 54th minute, Doku's curler from the edge of the area deflected in for Sander Berge own goal.

But Guardiola's men completely lost focus after that, and Alex Iwobi side-footed home from 18 yards in the 57th minute.

When Samuel Chukwueze blasted his first goal for Fulham in the 72nd minute, City began to sweat and its anxiety mounted six minutes later.

Chukwueze squeezed a second shot through a crowd of players after Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner.

Moyes defends Grealish

David Moyes insists Jack Grealish has not been a disappointment with Everton, after the winger's second goal of the season sealed a 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Grealish impressed in his first few games for Everton after signing on loan from City in August, but he had endured a recent dip in form.

The 30-year-old, who had fallen out of favor with Guardiola last season, scored just once in his first 14 games for Everton before netting the winner against Bournemouth.

Grealish struck in the 78th minute with a deflected shot that Everton boss Moyes joked could have gone down as an own goal for Bournemouth's Bafode Diakite.

"I think the biggest thing for Jack is that he is getting plenty of game time at the moment. He is doing really well for us, whether it be assists or goalscoring," Moyes said.

"He has had a few games where he could have been a little bit better, but he's certainly giving us something.

"I actually think the supporters like him so much as well because of the way he goes about things and conducts himself.

"I want him to score more goals. I keep telling him, 'your assists are good, but I want more goals'.

"I just had a joke with him there saying I hope they don't class that as an own goal."

AFP