Erling Haaland scored twice to become the fastest player in Premier League history to 100 non-penalty goals, dragging Manchester City to a nervy 3-2 win over Ipswich Town at the Etihad — and then limped off at full time to leave Enzo Maresca sweating over his star striker.
City's seventh straight league win takes them to a perfect 21 points and six clear of champions Arsenal at the top of the table. But the image that will dominate the next 72 hours is not either of Haaland's goals. It is the Norwegian heading straight down the tunnel, grimacing, with a heavy limp.
A century at record speed
Phil Foden put City ahead inside 19 minutes, turning home Jeremy Doku's pass on his return from suspension, only for Daizen Maeda to level within two minutes from Abdoul Ouattara's curling ball. Thirteen minutes later Haaland restored the lead, heading in Mateo Kovacic's cross for his 99th non-penalty Premier League goal.
Midway through the second half he completed the landmark. Latching onto Iliman Ndiaye's pass and bullying Ouattara out of the way, Haaland finished low for his 100th non-penalty goal in the competition — in just 139 appearances, the fastest anyone has ever got there, as Sports Mole reported from Opta's figures. A volleyed hat-trick goal was ruled out for an offside against Enzo Fernandez in the build-up, but the record was already his: Haaland has now scored in eight straight matches for City and leads the Golden Boot race with eight league goals.
Ipswich refuse to fold
Gary O'Neil's visitors would not lie down. When Marc Guehi brought down Abdul Fatawu, substitute Zian Flemming slammed home the penalty to make it 3-2 and set up a frantic finish, with Ipswich pushing the leaders back in the closing minutes. Captain Dara O'Shea told VAVEL his side were "disappointed not to come away with a point" and felt Ipswich were the team pushing at the end — a remarkable verdict on a trip to the Etihad, and a warning that City's perfect start is not as comfortable as the table suggests.
The limp that changes the week
Haaland was seen limping heavily as he left the field at full time. Sam Lee of The Athletic reported the striker took a bang on the foot and was likely to be rested on Tuesday anyway, with City hoping he is back for Aston Villa next Saturday; Antoine Semenyo was also limping as he went off. Daily Mail correspondent Jack Gaughan, however, speculated the problem could be to the knee, judging by the way Haaland moved. The truth will only emerge from Maresca's next press conference, but Haaland is an immediate doubt for Tuesday's Champions League meeting with AEK Athens.
The irony is sharp. Before kick-off, Maresca had admitted Haaland was among the players in need of a rest after playing every minute of the season so far, and had hinted he could even be dropped for this game. He started, he delivered the record — and now the rest may be forced on him.
So what happens next
Arsenal can cut the gap back to three points by beating Nottingham Forest on Sunday, while Liverpool's win at Brentford keeps them in touch. For City, everything now runs through the treatment room: AEK Athens on Tuesday, Villa next Saturday, and a striker whose fitness has become the single biggest variable in the title race. A contact injury to the foot is a scare; anything to the knee is a season-shaping problem.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Haaland did not just break a record today, he underlined how completely this City team leans on one man. Seven wins from seven should feel like a procession, yet a single limp at full time changed the entire mood at the Etihad. If City are without Haaland for any length of time, this title race reopens overnight — and every challenger knows it. Is Haaland now simply irreplaceable, or can Maresca's City win the big games without him? Tell us in the comments.
