11 targets in eight video games – Is Erling Haaland the Premier League’s most influential striker?

11 PL targets 

Erling Haaland’s phenomenal begin to the Premier League season confirmed no indicators of slowing down after he grabbed one other two targets for Manchester City on Saturday. The Norwegian striker took his tally to 11 targets in simply eight video games in 2025/26, inspiring his staff to a 2-0 victory over Everton on the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The 25-year-old was tasked with discovering the targets after a stalemate within the first half and minimize a annoyed determine. But along with his first actual alternative of the sport, he took his probabilities beautifully with a towering header on 58 minutes and a sweeping end 5 minutes later.

It means Haaland has now scored 11 out of City’s 17 within the present marketing campaign, equating to 64.7 per cent – the very best share of any participant within the high flight. If the standard of his targets and deadly ending don’t underline his worth, the plain aforementioned statistic actually does. Newcastle’s document signing Nick Woltemade is second on the checklist with 4 targets in seven matches since his €75 million transfer from Stuttgart, with Jarrod Bowen finishing the highest three after scoring half of West Ham’s six targets this season.

Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony and Brentford goal man Igor Thiago are tied on 4 targets apiece, equating to a 44.4 per cent share of the targets. Antoine Semenyo, second to Haaland within the goalscoring standings, has scored six of Bournemouth’s 14 targets. Jean-Philippe Mateta – a hat-trick hero within the 3-3 draw with Bournemouth – is ranked seventh. Chris Wood, Danny Welbeck and Wilson Isidor make up the remainder of the highest 10. But it’s honest to say none of them maintain a candle to Haaland, who’s broadly recognised as essentially the most in-form striker on the planet.

The solely staff who’ve proved to achieve success in stifling the 25-year-old are Tottenham, who bagged a powerful 2-0 win again in August. Since then, Haaland has been in unbelievable type, netting 18 targets in his final eight matches for membership and nation (10 for City, eight for Norway). Incredibly, he notched 5 targets and two assists in an 11-1 victory over Moldova for his nation. And his membership type has been simply as spectacular in opposition to more durable opposition, with Haaland now 5 targets away from his nearest Golden Boot challenger Semenyo, who has six thus far in 25/26.

Haaland is infamous for beginning league campaigns with electrical performances in entrance of purpose earlier than finally dropping off later within the season. But with the scientific frontman usually discovering the again of the web, there will probably be inevitable questions being requested as as to whether City can present a real problem for his or her ninth Premier League title. With the perfect striker within the league by far, Pep Guardiola will probably be more and more assured of their probabilities.