Manchester City striker Erling Haaland smashed all-time Premier League Golden Boot record of 34 goals in 42-game seasons set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer
Thursday 4 May 2023 14:01, UK
Erling Haaland has smashed the all-time Premier League goal record after netting his 35th of the season in the 3-0 win over West Ham.
The Norwegian surpassed the shared record set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer of 34 goals in 1993/94 and 1994/95, respectively - both achieved nearly 30 years ago in 42-game seasons when the league was comprised of 22 teams.
The 22-year-old still has five league games remaining to extend the record-breaking tally, with his current goal ratio of 1.26 per 90 minutes suggesting he could finish the campaign close to 41.
The towering striker has scored more goals than five Premier League teams: Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and Southampton.
Haaland has also registered four hat-tricks and remains only one shy of equalling Harry Kane's record of five in a single Premier League campaign - despite his last hat-trick coming more than three months ago, against Wolves in January.
In all competitions, the Norway international has also surpassed the half-century milestone with 51, leapfrogging Vic Watson and Pongo Waring on 50 goals - records set more than 90 years ago. Now, only Dixie Dean's all-time record of 63 goals from 1927/28 stands in his way.
City could still have nine games left to play if they overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals to book their place in Istanbul on June 10. Based on Haaland's average goal rate across all competitions, he would match Dean's record - if he plays every minute and City beat Real across both legs.
Haaland's staggering achievements are made all the more impressive by the fact Golden Boot tallies have been on the wane in recent years, failing to surpass 23 in the previous four seasons.
Mohamed Salah last broke the 30 threshold back in 2017/18 during his inaugural campaign at Anfield, when his 32 goals set a new record for a 38-game season.
You can relive every goal scored by Salah, Shearer and Cole in those record-breaking campaigns below...
Despite his record-breaking returns, the Norwegian has clocked only 84 per cent of game time in the Premier League, 71 per cent in the Champions League, 40 per cent in the Carabao Cup and 41 per cent in the FA Cup.
That means he's played only 74 per cent of available minutes across all competitions this season and would be on more than 64 goals right now - if he'd played every minute and maintained his goal ratio.
Currently, Haaland is averaging at 1.26 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League - seriously more potent than any other player in Europe's top five leagues this season to have played in excess of 612 minutes.
The chart below plots goals and expected goal returns for all Premier League players this season and presents the scale of the striker's form - soaring clear in both categories.
Several forwards from opposition teams are in consistent form, most notably Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and Harry Kane - but Haaland is humbling his rivals' figures.
Some critics might claim any established forward would convert bags of goals in Pep Guardiola's side, based on the sheer quantity of clear-cut chances they create.
However, the Norwegian has also exceeded his expected-goal (xG) returns considerably, netting nine goals more than the 26 expected from chances presented to him - another league-topping ratio.
Additionally, Haaland has fired a league-high 56 shots on target, which means his current goal haul equates to one goal from every 1.6 shots on target - underlining the clinical finishing.
The shot map below highlights how City's No 9 has converted almost all of his goals from the central third of the opposition box, between the goal line and penalty spot.
In terms of shot placement, Haaland is prolific when firing low, to the left side of the goal - netting 19 of his 26 shots on target. He isn't too bad aiming to the right either, with eight scored from only 12 on target, while netting around half of his accurate strikes down the middle.
Haaland appears to be genuinely unstoppable when in full flow. His acrobatic and aerial ability, coupled with physical height, power and speed, is defying all attempts to nullify his powers - despite opponents being aware of his primary threat down the left-of-centre channel.
While City's title charge powers on, Haaland's current goal-rate sets him on course to finish the season out on his own with 41 league goals - but there is a growing sense he will rewrite the record scales entirely.
You can search through all of his goals from the record-breaking campaign so far using the interactive table below, right back to the very first against West Ham, once again, on the opening day of the season...
