Haaland’s hat-trick keeps Man City ahead of Arsenal in fierce PL race

Manchester City’s forward Erling Haaland scored four goals in a spectacular display, leading his team to a decisive 5-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. This victory kept Manchester City in tight contention for their fourth consecutive Premier League title.

The triumph came shortly after Arsenal defeated Bournemouth 3-0, bringing the title race to an exhilarating point. Manchester City, with a game in hand, now trails Arsenal by just one point, with Arsenal at 83 points from 36 games and City at 82 points but with three matches left.

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s coach, highlighted the implications of their remaining games, stating, “Nine more points, and we will be champions.”

Haaland, who has now scored 25 goals this season, initiated the scoring with a penalty in the 12th minute following a foul on Josko Gvardiol. He then added a second with a header from Rodri’s cross at the 35-minute mark, expressing delight over the goal which he dedicated to his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, a former City player.

The Norwegian striker wasn’t done yet, as he scored another penalty just before the half-time whistle after Nelson Semedo fouled him in the box. Although Hwang Hee-chan managed to score for Wolves in the 53rd minute, Haaland quickly dashed any hopes of a Wolves comeback with his fourth goal a minute later, demonstrating excellent control and finish after receiving a pass from Phil Foden.

Guardiola praised Haaland’s performance, noting his return to form after an earlier season injury, “He was injured, to get back to best form you need time.”

Julian Alvarez added the fifth goal for City in the 85th minute, sealing a resounding win.

Wolves’ manager Gary O’Neil, who was absent from the sidelines due to a ban, reflected on the challenging game, acknowledging that errors against a team like City could be costly. He remarked, “If you make errors against these guys, they’ll punish you. We made too many errors and Manchester City were very clinical.”

Looking ahead, Manchester City has away games against Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and will conclude their season at home against West Ham United. Meanwhile, Arsenal will face Manchester United at Old Trafford and finish their season hosting Everton.