Record Breaker (Again!)

This is beginning to feel like the season Aguero started to break the Manchester City goalscoring records that had stood for decades. Each week there seemed to be a new one. Well, last night it was a privilege being at the Etihad to see Erling Haaland break the Premier League’s seasonal goalscoring record with City’s second in their 3-0 victory over West Ham United. He netted his 35th Premier League goal of the season and then Phil Foden scored the 1000th goal of Pep’s City reign.

It is also worth highlighting that only 47 players have scored more competitive goals for City than Haaland has in the club’s entire history – that’s in their entire careers, not in most of one season!

The Norwegian is now on 51 in all competitions, 12 behind Dixie Dean’s all-time English record. Obviously, we’re nearing the end of the season and games are running out but it’s a target I’d love to see challenged further.

Haaland’s already City’s highest goalscorer in all competitions but there’s still one other major seasonal club record to aim for. There is only Tommy Johnson ahead of him as City’s greatest seasonal League scorer of all time. Johnson’s stats are:

Tommy Johnson

38 goals in 39 appearances during 1928-29 (City finished 8th)

Goals per game ratio: 0.9744

Most goals in a single game: 5 v Everton (6-2)

Number of games he scored in: 24

Years at City: 1920 to 1930

Here’s hoping that record goes soon. It’s always great for a historian to experience history being made. Nice work City!

Haaland was given a guard of honour by the City players, boss Pep Guardiola and the club’s backroom staff after the final whistle. Afterwards the player commented: ‘It was a nice feeling scoring that goal, it always is… It was painful when everyone hit me on the back in the guard of honour.’

Manager Pep commented: ‘He’s just 22… and still has five games left. How many games I made the substitution after a hat-trick in 60 minutes, maybe he’d have scored more. But maybe he’d have got injured. He’s special. Congratulations to him.

‘We expected him to score goals but to break Cole and Shearer records… I’m pretty sure what he wants is to win the Premier League.’

‘It’s unbelievable. How many important goals he’s scored to win games, we are so satisfied. He’s a unique person and he’s so special. He deserved the guard of honour because it’s an incredible milestone. Another day he might break his own record. He’s scored a lot of goals!’