Erling Haaland described his start to life in the Premier League as "amazing" after hitting his second consecutive hat-trick to make history in Manchester City's 6-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest.
Haaland – who scored a match-winning treble against Crystal Palace on Saturday – needed just 38 minutes to clinch a perfect hat-trick as Forest wilted on Wednesday, taking him to nine goals in his first five Premier League outings.
That tally represents a new competition record, bettering the eight-goal hauls managed by Sergio Aguero and Micky Quinn at the start of their Premier League careers.
City, meanwhile, have scored 18 goals across their opening five matches, the highest tally in their league history. The last side to exceed 18 goals after five matches at the start of a Premier League season was Manchester United in 2011-12 (21 goals).
Haaland has scored at the remarkable rate of a goal every 43 minutes since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, and is the first player to score hat-tricks in back-to-back Premier League games since Harry Kane in December 2017.
Speaking to BT Sport after the dominant win, Haaland said: "It's amazing. Nothing more to say. It's been good so far, I'm not complaining!
"It was about making sure we kept doing what we did in the second half against Palace, and just to play, play, play, play and play. We knew there was going to be chances, and it was nice.
"I try to listen as much as I can to Pep and to play with the boys because they're amazing footballers and without them, I would not be able to score goals.
"So it's about finding chemistry, playing together, and listening to Pep [Guardiola].
"It's fantastic, that's why I came here. You can see we play so good, we find each other and we will become even better, so it's going to be nice.
"It's important to keep going, it's going to be a lot of games so it's important to keep going and to enjoy as much as we can."
While Haaland stole the show with his remarkable display of finishing, fellow City striker Julian Alvarez also enjoyed a landmark outing, scoring two goals on his first Premier League start.
Alvarez is the seventh Argentinian to score on his first Premier League start, and the first to do so more than once, and is targeting more than a bit-part role in Guardiola's side.
Speaking to the BBC, Alvarez stated his belief he could form an effective partnership with Haaland, saying: "Obviously I'm very happy for the team performance, and for my two goals, and getting that reception from all the fans.
"I think it's not me or Erling, we can play together in the starting eleven. We fit together, which is good for the team.
"Some things are similar from Argentina, like the ball pressing, but the Premier League is faster, I have to adapt to that. My team-mates help me and I am super grateful for that."
Wolves make Doyle move permanent as midfielder leaves Man City
Wolves have taken up their option to sign Tommy Doyle from Manchester City on a permanent deal.
The 22-year-old midfielder has made 30 appearances in all competitions for Wolves after joining the club on loan this season.
Wolves have now exercised their option to make the move permanent, which will take effect on July 1, for a reported fee of just under £5 million.
Doyle has signed a four-year contract with Wolves, with an option for two further years, tying him to the Molineux club until at least 2028.
He previously spent loan spells with Hamburg and Cardiff City, before helping Sheffield United win promotion from the Championship last season.
The Man City academy product also made seven appearances for Pep Guardiola's side.
"We’ve never seen Tommy as a player on loan, and he hasn’t acted like one," said Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs after the deal was confirmed on Friday.
"He’s gradually earned more minutes and become more important, which I think is an ideal first year. What he offers to our midfield is something different to the others, so there was a huge amount of inevitability to this.
"He buys into who we are as a club and what we’re trying to create culturally within the group. He’s a great player to have for what we’re trying to achieve off the pitch and he gives us so much on the pitch, so he’s the exact type of player I think Wolves should be signing."
Hobbs is confident that Doyle has a bright future in the game, adding: "If you look at the type of players we like to sign as a football club, they generally haven’t reached their ceiling yet and have loads more to come.
"Tommy is a fraction of the player he will become, with the more he gets used to the league and the greater his understanding gets.
"I’m really excited for now but also his future at Wolves."
Man City play Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, but Doyle is ineligible to take part.
As well as expressing his excitement at joining Wolves, he reflected on his City exit, saying: "I’ve had many, many years as a City player, coming through the academy and eventually playing for the first-team, and I take great pride in what I’ve done for that club..
"It’s nice to close that chapter and open up the new one with Wolves and try to progress as much as I can and keep enjoying it.
"I wanted to have somewhere where I’m stable, essentially somewhere I enjoy, and I enjoy it here. It’ll be good to do it all again next season.
"It’s amazing. I’m really happy. I found out not too long ago what’s going to happen and it’s obviously very exciting for me, having enjoyed this season so far, and I’m looking forward to trying to better what we’ve done next season.
"I’ve known for a little while that there were talks, and the other day it was more official. I’ve enjoyed it here, everyone’s been really great with me, the manager, the staff and especially the lads. It’ll be good to battle in the league again with them next season."
Wolves are 11th in the Premier League with three games to play in Gary O'Neil's first season in charge.
"You can see the way we’ve played this season, some of our football’s been really good," added Doyle, who has played for England up to Under-21 level.
"We’ve been very unlucky with injuries, and it’s died out a bit the last couple of games which has been frustrating, but that’s something we’ll learn from.
"The club said they were happy with what I’ve done this season and, for me, I feel there’s a lot more I can give. We’re going in the right direction as a club, we’re progressing, so it’s exciting to be part of that journey."
Atlanta United v Minnesota United: Five Stripes not concerned by winless run
Atlanta United are not concerned by their winless run in MLS, so says Caleb Wiley.
The Five Stripes have not won in four MLS games, ahead of a home meeting with Minnesota United on Saturday.
Wiley, however, believes Atlanta’s attacking play has been such that it is only a matter of time until results start turning.
“It will come,” said Wiley. “We are creating so many chances. I know it is frustrating, but the goals will come. We are not worried because we have the talent to do that [score goals].
“We know that it is still early in the season. We still have a lot more games to go. We have so much more to learn. That is what we are all excited about; that is what I am excited about for this team. We have so much more to do, and to show everybody.”
Looking ahead to this weekend’s fixture, Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda said: “We have watched all the games.
“We have prepared tactically for whatever lineup or structure they present. So, it is about our principles and how we play. How we can balance their backline, and how we can create enough chances for our attacking players to be near the goal line.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Atlanta United – Thiago Almada
Almada has 11 goals and 13 assists in regular-season home matches since the start of last season, one of two players (Luciano Acosta) with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in home matches in that time.
Minnesota United – Robin Lod
Lod has recorded an assist in four straight matches, equalling Darwin Quintero (2018—19) for the longest regular-season streak in Minnesota United’s history. He is the first Loons’ player to do so within a single season.
MATCH PREDICTION: ATLANTA UNITED WIN
Atlanta’s eight-match home unbeaten run in all competitions (W6 D2) ended with a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati on April 20. Atlanta have lost consecutive home matches in all competitions in nearly three years, since losing to New England and Columbus in July 2021.
The Five Stripes have won four of five all-time meetings with Minnesota (L1). The Loons’ lone victory was a 3—2 win at Atlanta in October 2017.
However, Minnesota are off to the best start in club history with 17 points from their first nine matches of the season. The Loons have won three of their four road matches (L1) after winning only three of their final 14 regular-season away matches in 2023 (D2 L9).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Atlanta United – 47.7%
Minnesota United – 25.2%
Draw – 27.1%
D.C. United v Philadelphia Union: Gazdag eyes response after landmark goal overshadowed
Daniel Gazdag says the Philadelphia Union must "run through walls" against D.C. United on Saturday, after he saw a personal milestone overshadowed by back-to-back defeats for Jim Curtin's team.
Gazdag became Philadelphia's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, netting his 57th goal for the club against the Seattle Sounders at Subaru Park.
However, that goal wasn't enough to prevent the Union from sliding to a 3-2 loss, just three days after they suffered their first MLS defeat of 2024 against Real Salt Lake.
While Gazdag was pleased to seal his place in franchise history, he was frustrated it didn't count for more and wants to make amends this weekend.
"It's obviously a nice number. I'm happy that I've become the all-time leading goalscorer for the club. That's amazing," Gazdag said.
"When I got here three years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed about it. I'm happy with that, I'll be happy in the future, for sure, but it's just annoying we played like that.
"After two games like this, we have to go out there and just run through walls to win the next game, it doesn't matter who we're up against."
Philadelphia sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from nine games, an identical tally to that accumulated by D.C. through 10 matches.
Troy Lesesne's men beat Seattle 2-1 last Saturday to halt a three-match winless run, but he says they are yet to produce a complete performance since he took charge.
"With the ball, what we want to do is keep the tempo high," Lesesne said.
"We want to see out a complete performance, which is still something we're going after, and hopefully against Philadelphia we can have another go at that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke scored both of D.C.'s goals against Seattle last week, moving to eight goals in MLS this season. Only Lionel Messi, with nine, has outscored the former Liverpool man.
The Belgian has also netted 12 of his team's last 21 MLS goals in a run dating back to late September (0.57 per cent).
Philadelphia Union – Julian Carranza
Carranza scored two hat-tricks against D.C. United in the 2022 season.
The Argentine, who has four goals in MLS this term, is looking to break new ground on Saturday – no player in MLS history has scored three hat-tricks against a single opponent before.
MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won six of their last eight regular-season away matches against D.C. (one draw, one defeat), scoring 24 goals in those matches including nine in the last two.
They are favourites to preserve their strong record at Audi Field, having gone unbeaten through their first five road games of an MLS season (two wins, three draws) for the second time (also in 2021).
Since 2015, only the 2022 New York Red Bulls have opened a season with a six-game unbeaten run on the road. Philadelphia have what it takes to replicate that feat, with D.C. not winning consecutive matches within a single season since April 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 29.2%
Philadelphia Union – 42.4%
Draw – 28.4%
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