Erling Haaland continued his impressive goalscoring form for Manchester City this season as he scored a brace and added an assist in his team’s 3-nil win over West Ham yesterday. Manchester City’s number nine is the ultimate game breaker and that was on display yesterday at the Etihad. Haaland scored his 25th goal in all competitions yesterday. He has been a goalscoring machine so far this season. Despite Haaland scoring a brace and adding an assist yesterday come the final whistle yesterday you did feel that he could’ve done even more against West Ham. That speaks to just how good a player and how devastating Haaland can be.
Erling Haaland set Manchester City on their way yesterday but on another day he could’ve scored four or five.
Manchester City took the lead yesterday in the 5th minute at the Etihad. Erling Haaland saw his first-time shot saved by Alphonse Areola but he reacted quickest to the rebound to beat the stranded Areola to give his team the lead. Haaland would head a very good chance wide four minutes later after he got on the end of a quality Rayan Cherki cross. In the first ten minutes of yesterday’s match, Erling Haaland could’ve had a brace and he could’ve gone on to do anything against a battling West Ham side.
Haaland would grab an assist when he played a clever pass to Tijjani Reijnders to set up the Dutch international to score Manchester City’s second goal of the game. Rayan Cherki set the goal up with his interception and superb run to find Haaland. Haaland slipped the ball to Reijnders and Manchester City took a 2-nil lead in the 38th minute. It was effectively game over from that point despite West Ham’s surge at the start of the second half.
Cherki. Haaland. Reijnders. Goal ⚽️
The perfect @ManCity combination 👏 pic.twitter.com/VFiwi9TSOD
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 20, 2025
Haaland should have completed his hat trick in the second half.
Erling Haaland had a host of chances to score throughout the second half as well. He did grab his second goal of the game in the 69th minute after Rico Lewis played in a clever ball to set up Haaland. The West Ham defence reacted quicker than Haaland initially but their poor clearance fell to Haaland who beat Alphonse Areola with a simple finish to make it 3-nil to City. Haaland could’ve completed his hat trick in the final minute of yesterday’s match after he put a chance wide after being played in by Divine Mukasa. Erling Haaland had a telling impact on yesterday’s match but you did feel that he could’ve had a day out when the final whistle blew.
Manchester City have the ultimate game breaker who settled yesterday's match against West Ham
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 20: Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on December 20, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
It speaks to how good Erling Haaland is that he can score a brace and grab an assist but you feel he could have contributed even more.
Ordinarily, if a player scores a brace and sets up his team’s other goal in a 3-nil win for his team you’d say they were by far and away the best player on the pitch. As much as Erling Haaland helped break open yesterday’s match, I thought Matheus Nunes was Manchester City’s man-of-the-match. That’s just my opinion of what transpired at the Etihad. It speaks to just how great a player Haaland is that you felt he could’ve done even more yesterday against West Ham.
Manchester City have the ultimate game breaker in Erling Haaland. Even in games where you sense that he could’ve been even better he scored a brace and added an assist. Erling Haaland could be Manchester City’s ace in the hole this season and a game will come where he will put every chance that comes his way away. When that occurs one of Manchester City’s opponents will be left devastated by Manchester City’s ultimate game breaker.