Erling Haaland continued his fine scoring streak with two more goals to help Manchester City to victory against Everton in the Premier League.
The Norwegian striker’s second half brace takes his tally up
to 11 goals in eight games so far in the league, and 23 goals in all competitions for club and country this season.
After a cagey first half, Haaland headed Nico O’Reilly’s left footed cross beyond Jordan Pickford after a sublime Phil Foden through ball, to score for the sixth consecutive league game.
He scored again a few minutes later as he slammed Savinho’s cut back in from just inside the box, and he should have bagged a hattrick late on but missed two one vs one opportunities in injury time.
The Blues moved top of the Premier League table with that result, for all of a few hours before Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Fulham moved the Gunners back to the summit.
Here are three things we learned from victory at the Etihad:
The team is set up for Haaland to thrive
More so than ever before, this City team is built around their number nine.
Haaland has scored all of City’s last seven goals; two yesterday, one against Brentford, two against Monaco and then the final two goals against Burnley.
Not just are the attacking midfielders playing more direct balls forward, but the full backs and wingers are crossing more too. O’Reilly has provided Haaland with two assists from left sided hung crosses that have been powered home by the Norwegian leaping high in recent weeks.
Haaland should’ve scored both the chances he had late on, which came from intuitive through balls first by Phil Foden then by Rayan Cherki, who was making his first appearance since August after a muscle injury.
In 2025, City have been much more open to knocking a long ball up to Haaland, and with Omar Marmoush now back from injury too, he provides another option for a goalscoring forward who likes to run in behind.
Tijjani Reijnders is also capable of attacking the penalty box, whilst Foden, Cherki, Bernardo Silva, Oscar Bobb and Jeremy Doku are good creative footballers who can pick out runners in behind.
When Haaland joined, many questioned whether he’d suit City’s patient possession based football. Now, he’s in arguably the best form he’s been in since he joined and the team are fully utilising his full potential.
A fluid system works best
As mentioned above, the first half was relatively stodgy from City’s perspective and easy for Everton to defend.
Jeremy Doku and Savinho were stationed wide, with Haaland somewhat isolated with few City bodies around him and the wide pair struggling to create anything.
But when Doku, who has played well recently but somewhat underwhelmed against the Toffees, was replaced by Bobb and Bernardo came on for Reijnders, City instantly started playing better football.
Savinho moved to the left hand side of the front three, but also drifted a bit more central at times. The fluidity amongst the four midfielders behind Haaland increased even more when Cherki replaced the Brazilian winger.
David Moyes’s side seemed to struggle more with the movement and fluidity City’s midfield provided, and I also thought from the Blues’s perspective it helped them move the ball quicker and with fewer mistakes.
Against Villareal, I’d like to see Foden, Bernardo, Bobb start, and maybe Doku whilst Cherki’s finding his fitness. I think it suits the players and, as mentioned above, also gets the best out of Haaland.
Lewis might struggle to get back in
One negative from the game today is that I’m not convinced I see a way back in for Rico Lewis anytime soon.
The 20-year-old came on for O’Reilly at left back for the last few minutes, but is surely behind the fellow City academy graduate and new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri in the pecking order at left back.
On the right hand side, where he tends to play most often for City, Abdukodir Khusanov is probably first choice right back now, and Matheus Nunes has done a pretty good job filling in for him when injured.
The midfield is too congested with Rodri, Nico Gonzalez (who was excellent against Everton) Mateo Kovacic, Reijnders and Bernardo all ahead of him in the 6/8 positions.
He’s clearly an excellent player but one who struggles with the physical aspects of the game, and whilst others ahead of him are performing well and the squad is returning to full fitness, the way back in for him looks tough.
