Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will be out to add another goalscoring record to his ever-growing collection against Arsenal on Saturday afternoon, breaking his own feat in the process.
With the exception of Wednesday's goalless draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League, the 24-year-old has been in irrepressible form during the embryonic stages of the 2024-25 season.
From just four Premier League matches, Haaland already has a phenomenal nine strikes to his name, the most any player has managed in the first four games of an English top-flight season since 1992.
Thanks to his brace against Brentford last weekend, which came after he turned down compassionate leave for the death of a close family friend, Haaland broke Wayne Rooney's four-game record, having also notched hat-tricks against West Ham United and Ipswich Town after bagging one against Chelsea.
Before the start of the weekend, Haaland's nine Premier League goals was more than any of the other 19 teams in the division, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund striker is chasing more history this weekend.
Haaland aiming to break own record and equal Luis Suarez feat
© Imago
Should Haaland find the back of the net against the Gunners, the Norway international will become the first Premier League player to score at least 10 goals in the first five games of a new season.
The quickest any player has reached double figures in a Premier League season is six games, and one of those was Haaland himself, who hit 10 goals in six matches during his debut season in 2022-23.
Long before Haaland was born, Mick Quinn hit 10 goals in six games during the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93 while at Coventry City, although two goals or more would see the Scandinavian hit another landmark.
If the 24-year-old scores at least a brace on Sunday, he will become just the second player to net multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League matches after Luis Suarez for Liverpool in 2013-14.
That year, the Uruguayan hit four goals in a 5-1 win over Norwich City, before bagging doubles in three straight matches against West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff City in the same month.
Man City chasing team record in Arsenal clash
© Imago
While Haaland chases individual milestones, Man City could also set a new record by beating Arsenal, which would make them the first team in the history of the English top flight to win their first five games of a season on five different occasions.
The Citizens were handed an early boost in their bid to move five points clear of Arsenal, as Pep Guardiola said in his press conference that Kevin De Bruyne "could" be available despite picking up a groin concern against Inter Milan.
However, reports have claimed that the Belgian will not be risked for the visit of the Gunners, who are without their own chief creator in Martin Odegaard due to his ankle injury.
City and Arsenal are separated by just one place and two points in the Premier League table, although both sides were knocked down one by Liverpool on Saturday, as the Reds beat Bournemouth 3-0 to rise to top spot.
Ben Knapton
