Manchester City forward Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals on Tuesday, scoring in the 17th minute of a chaotic 5–4 win at Fulham.
The landmark strike came when Jeremy Doku drove down the right and delivered a low cross for Haaland, who swept a first-time left-footed finish past Bernd Leno. It was his 100th goal in only 111 league appearances, a full 13 games quicker than previous record holder Alan Shearer. Shearer still owns the all-time Premier League tally with 260, but the 25-year-old Norwegian continues to track the number with unsettling efficiency.
Pep Guardiola admitted even he had not expected such a return. “If you told me when he arrived that he would score 100 goals in 111 games, I would say, ‘Are you sure?’ The numbers are insane,” he said. “He was unbelievable today. It is incredible, impressive. He made a fantastic goal. Hopefully he stays hungry to make more and more goals. I am happy for him, happy for the team to deliver him this day.”
Haaland celebrated the moment with his father, Alf-Inge, watching on from the Craven Cottage stands. “Proud moment, 100 club is a huge thing,” he said. “To do it this quickly is amazing. I am proud, I am happy. I have said it many times, a striker for City should score a lot of goals. That is my job, that is what I try to do. And I am not bad at it. I should have had a hat-trick, I had a few chances. I need to practise.”
The league’s leading scorer, now on 15 for the season, had been stuck on 99 for two matches after missed opportunities against Newcastle United and Leeds United. There was no hesitation this time, and with City still in the hunt for multiple trophies, Haaland’s appetite shows little sign of easing.
