MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 BOURNEMOUTH: Erling Haaland was back among the goals and Pep Guardiola's side were back in the winning circle as they jumped up into second and closed on Arsenal
Erling Haaland's goals helped take Man City up to second
Erling Haaland's goals helped take Man City up to second
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Erling Haaland continues to prove that Manchester City can be a one-man team - at least in front of goal - and still climb the table after his brace helped see off Bournemouth to send Pep Guardiola's side second.
It is the highest spot City have occupied since the opening weekend and their latest victory again owed to their Norwegian frontman, who took his overall tally for the season to 17. He's scored 13 of their 20 goals so far in the Premier League as he continues to look as potent as ever.
At his current rate Haaland could rival the record he set in 2022/23 for the most goals in a Premier League season. On that occasion those strikes took City to the title en route to their historic treble.
The Manchester outfit are not as imperious as they were back then, now in something of a rebuild, but their win over Bournemouth took them above the Cherries and now leaves them as the best of the rest behind Arsenal, who hold a six point lead.
The Gunners played before their rivals and downed Burnley on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool arrested their recent slide domestically and saw off Aston Villa a few hours later. City were the last to reply but did so against a Bournemouth side who had lost just once since the opening night of the season.
The Gunners have shown, in stark contrast to City, that you can top the table even when your marquee striker isn't in full flow. Their Scandinavian in Viktor Gyokeres scored for just the fourth time this season in the win at Turf Moor, but is yet to hit his straps since his summer move.
Haaland may have more than three times his goal tally, but his team still find themselves a hefty chunk of points behind Arsenal. Sunday's win though ensures they remain in touch and they have overturned greater deficits to the north Londoners in recent times. They trailed them by seven points on New Year's Eve in 2022, only to hunt down the Gunners by May.
The Man City marksman showcased his finishing ability against Bournemouth
The Man City marksman showcased his finishing ability against Bournemouth
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Haaland's opening goal at the Etihad came courtesy of a Rayan Cherki headed assist, which set the Norwegian clear to finish past Djordje Petrovic. The sense of inevitability with which the striker is racing through on goal will no doubt concern rivals. That said the Bournemouth keeper did deny Haaland a first-half hat-trick with an instinctive stop when he was put through.
Tyler Adams, who had never scored during his time at Leeds, was able to draw the Cherries level after 25 minutes. He reacted quickest when Gianluigi Donnarumma mistimed his punch from a corner. The Italian's appeals for a foul falling on deaf ears.
As they have done all season, City turned to Haaland to restore their lead and the former Borussia Dortmund man answered their calls. Again set free after playing on the last defender, the frontman instead chose to round the keeper before finishing into an empty net.
Twenty-year-old Nico O'Reilly continues to blossom at left-back and he was on hand to break Haaland's monopoly of City goals with a sweetly struck finish on the hour mark - giving the hosts their biggest cushion of the day.
With 10 minutes remaining Haaland was withdrawn. This is a man with eight hat-tricks to his name in the Premier League - four shy of the record held by Sergio Aguero. Yet Sunday was the 15th time he'd been subbed off when he'd scored two goals in a match - scary to think how many trebles he could have to his name.
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