By Matt Hardy
Only one club have managed to win three Premier League titles back-to-back – Manchester United, twice – but Manchester City made the perfect start in their bid to be the second club to do so when Erling Haaland became the second City player after Sergio Aguero to score two goals on his league debut.
Haaland’s father, former City right-back Alfie, watched on as his son’s brace earned his side a 2-0 win over a sorry looking West Ham at the London Stadium yesterday.
After blasting a first-half penalty earned when replacement West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola brought the Norwegian down in the box, it was Haaland’s second goal that mimicked many of the 67 the 22-year-old scored at Borussia Dortmund.
Trademark
In what is likely to become a trademark of this new-look City side, Haaland superbly timed his run to get onto the end of a Kevin De Bruyne through ball to slot a shot past Areola and net his second in east London’s sweltering heat. It’s a sign of the ruthlessness that could spearhead Pep Guardiola’s side this season.
His 65th minute goal – before being replaced by fellow newcomer Julian Alvarez 13 minutes later – took his scoring statistics to 121 in 124 since he left his native Norway, though his debut for Dortmund in 2020 reaped a haul of three goals.
Post-match the 22-year-old said he should have gotten a hat-trick but was not in the right position to net from a golden chance. He cracked a smile, too, after swearing and before apologising for swearing by swearing – a rare break from the somewhat steely persona.
In front of over 60,000 fans at the London Stadium, David Moyes’s Hammers offered little to generate hope of a repeat of last year’s impressive league and European performances.
They sat off City, rarely challenged and allowed their opposition to dictate the play – Said Benrahma’s 63rd-minute shot on target one of only two for the home side yesterday afternoon.
There has been so much hype surrounding the arrival of life-long Manchester City fan Haaland to the Premier League, potentially up there with some of the league’s greatest imports, and if his debut is anything to go by, the English top-flight is in for a mesmeric spell as the promising era of Erling begins.
Theatre of nightmares
It took less than 45 minutes for Brighton’s travelling fans – sandwiched between Old Trafford’s East and South stands – to chant: “you’re getting sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning”.
But they weren’t directing their cries at the away manager Graham Potter, for the man in charge had just led his side to a 2-1 victory over Manchester United at the Theatre of Dreams – their first ever league win in the city.
They, instead, were mocking new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on his Premier League debut.
“It was unnecessary to lose this game,” the Dutchman said of his side’s result on the opening weekend.
Pascal Gross opened the scoring from the far post after a darting Danny Welbeck run split Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire to leave the midfielder in space to tap in.
Gross netted his second after United goalkeeper David de Gea turned a Solly March shot into the 31-year-old’s path.
United’s deficit was halved only by a Alexis Mac Allister own goal in the 68th minute when the Brighton midfielder netted after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez put the ball into the 23-year-old’s path.
United’s expected goals of 0.78 was nearly half of Brighton’s 1.42 despite them having more shots, shots on target, corners and a higher level of possession (68 per cent versus 32), according to data from Sporting Risk.
It is nothing short of a disaster start for United and with matches against Liverpool and Arsenal looming in the next month, Ten Hag must find a quick fix to the Manchester club many once feared the most.
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