Expectations on Haaland for his league debut were high, but that high? In his first 19 games he has scored 25 goals and has no plans to stop there....CONTINUE READING
The mother of all records is Everton striker Dixie Dean’s tally of 60 goals in the 1927-28 season. No one has ever beaten him in the top flight of English football, known as ‘The Football League’ at the time.
The competition was made up of 22 teams and 42 matches were played each season, although the ‘Toffee’ striker only played 39 in that campaign.
In time, Dean spoke about his record and made it clear that only one person would be able to break it. “I think someone will do it, but only one. It will be the man who walks on water. He’s the only one,” he said.
Can Haaland do it?
The Norwegian has only missed one Premier League game to date. That was through injury at the end of October in a 1-0 win for City at Leicester.
Haaland has played 19 games out of a possible 20 and the key question is whether Guardiola will decide to rest him in the Premier League to save him for the Champions League and, also, how the league title race progresses. If Arsenal end up escaping, he could alternate starts with Julian Alvarez.
At this stage, with 19 games played, Dean was on 31 goals, six more than the Nordic player currently has.
Other goals on the way
While 60 goals is a staggering figure and almost impossible to conquer in today’s format, Haaland is on course to break other records.
Since the Premier League was formed in 1992, no one has scored more goals than Andy Cole and Alan Shearer (42). However, the Newcastle striker did it in 40 games, two fewer than Alan.
Focusing on the more modern era, with 20 teams in contention, Mohamed Salah’s 32 goals in the 17/18 season is the best tally so far.
If logic applies, Haaland should smash that statistic, as well as the 31 of Luis Suarez or Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just ended a 70-day drought.
Five records for Haaland in the first round:
The Nordic footballer’s letter of introduction in England was one to remember. Although many already knew what he was all about, his start to the season left both fans and outsiders open-mouthed. These are some of the marks that the Norwegian claimed in his first few games in the City shirt:
First player to score in his first four away Premiership games.
The youngest player to be involved in five goals in a game (three goals plus two assists in the 6-3 win over United).
First player to be involved in one or more goals during his first eight Premiership games.
The player who needed the fewest games to reach ten goals in the Premiership (6).
The player with the most Premiership goals in his first five games (9).
