Haaland’s Fireworks: City’s New Season Starts with a Nine-Goal Thunderclap
11 October 2025
Haaland’s explosive start to the season
The Norwegian star Erling Haaland opened his new season with Manchester City in explosive fashion, scoring nine goals in the first seven Premier League matches. The numbers underscore his extraordinary finishing and confirm he remains one of the most dangerous forwards in world football, capable of altering a game single-handedly.
That start isn’t Haaland’s absolute best; in 2022-23 he bagged 11 goals in seven games and last season reached 10. Still, this year’s tally leaves him comfortably atop the English goals chart, three ahead of the nearest challenger, a comfortable cushion in the early sprint for the Golden Boot.
Remarkably, all nine strikes have come from open play—no penalties. That adds another layer to his profile: a striker who relies on smart movement, precise positioning, and clinical finishing rather than solely on set pieces or luck.
Analysts track xG, the expected goals metric, to gauge the quality of chances. Early numbers show Haaland leading in both the quantity and quality of opportunities in England, suggesting this season rests on solid foundations rather than luck.
City’s attacking system under Pep Guardiola continues to feed him clean opportunities through clever through-balls and smart runs from teammates such as Phil Foden and Julian Doku, granting Haaland more space to strike.
Across Europe, the Golden Boot race remains fiercely contested. Haaland sits joint-second with Kylian Mbappé on nine, trailing leader Harry Kane on 11 for Bayern Munich. Yet Haaland’s nine goals have all come in open play, while Mbappé and Kane have some penalties in their tallies, keeping the European chase open.
Several injuries and transfer moves can swing the balance in the coming months. Mohamed Salah has just one goal in the early weeks, with fewer chances than a year ago. Others from last season’s top-11—such as Alexander Isak—have started slowly; meanwhile clubs like Brentford, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton have shown slower scoring rates, reshaping the early standings.
In Europe the competition remains tough. Kane sits on 11, with Mbappé and Haaland on nine, but Haaland’s goals have come entirely from open play, while the others have penalties in their tallies, keeping the European race open and intriguing as the season unfolds.
With a straightforward approach, City looks capable of exploiting space and delivering through balls to Haaland, reinforcing his edge in both domestic and continental contests.
Bottom line: Haaland isn’t just scoring; he’s delivering a complete display of movement, positioning, and ruthless finishing. His presence makes other top forwards’ lives harder, and opponents know the warning: when Haaland gets involved, the net files for another cameo.
Punchline: If goals were headlines, Haaland would own the front page every week—no editor needed.
Punchline 2: City’s defense should hire a psychic, because Haaland seems to know exactly where the ball will bake the next goal in the oven of the penalty box.
