Erling Haaland moved level with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney for Premier League hat-tricks with his treble in Manchester City’s 4-1 thumping of Ipswich Town on Sunday.
The Norwegian helped the reigning champions avoid a scare after the Tractor Boys had taken the lead early on through Sammie Szmodics. City soon scored three goals in five minutes, with Haaland striking twice either side of Kevin De Bruyne’s effort.
The former Borussia Dortmund forward would complete his hat-trick with an 88th-minute goal, moving him above ex-Liverpool star Luis Suarez on six trebles and level with Rooney on seven.
It is only Haaland’s third season in the Premier League but he has already struck trebles against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Man Utd, Fulham and Wolves twice to go with his haunting of Ipswich on Saturday.
Next in the 24-year-old’s sights are Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Michael Owen, who each hit eight hat-tricks in England’s top flight. Sergio Aguero is the all-time leader with 12, with Alan Shearer in second with 11 and Robbie Fowler third with nine.
Speaking after the Ipswich victory, City manager Pep Guardiola claimed the behemoth striker could rival the career goal hauls of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi before he retires.
“He did it in Salzburg and in Germany; the numbers are ridiculous,” Guardiola said.
“He can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano and Messi. The numbers are unbelievable at his age. He’s an incredible threat, hopefully he can be here for many years.”
He added: “I said a few weeks ago, he feels better than previous seasons.
“This season, no Euros, relax and arrive well. We talked a bit in the States [on the pre-season tour] because I didn’t like some things and he changed. Of course, he cannot play all the games, we know how important his numbers are.”
United, meanwhile, were dealt late heartbreak as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the opener of Gameweek 2.
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