Soccer

Erling Haaland scores four as Manchester City stay on Arsenal’s tail

Premier League round-up: Callum Hudson-Odoi’s brace helps Forest to vital win; ruthless Newcastle push Burnley closer to trapdoor

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot during the Premier League match against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot during the Premier League match against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Sat May 04 2024 - 19:39
Manchester City 5 Wolves 1

Erling Haaland scored four goals – including a first-half hat-trick – as champions Manchester City crushed Wolves 5-1 to retain control of the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola’s side needed to respond to leaders Arsenal’s comfortable victory over Bournemouth earlier on Saturday and they did so emphatically, with a clinical takedown of their hapless visitors at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland struck twice from the penalty spot in the first half, either side of a towering header, before adding a fourth with a stunning strike.

Substitute Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet, while Wolves’ consolation came from Hwang Hee-chan.

READ MORE

The victory lifted City, chasing an unprecedented fourth successive league crown, back within a point of the Gunners with a game in hand.

Haaland’s outstanding display took his tally for the campaign to 36 in all competitions and lifted him to 25 – five clear of his nearest challengers – in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot. His hat-trick was also his ninth in City colours.

For Wolves’ players there was little escape from the onslaught, although manager Gary O’Neil may have been relieved his touchline ban kept him hidden from view.

[ Premier League table ]

Sheffield United 1 Nottingham Forest 3

Callum Hudson-Odoi fired Nottingham Forest to a vital 3-1 victory in their survival battle as Sheffield United became the first Premier League team to concede 100 goals in a 38-game season.

Hudson-Odoi produced two picture-book goals to help Forest overcome a dreadful start at Bramall Lane and register a first away win since St Stephen’s Day.

The already-relegated Blades went ahead through Ben Brereton Diaz’s penalty before Hudson-Odoi’s double and Ryan Yates’s controversial goal saw Forest hit back to move three points clear of 18th-placed Luton with two games left.

Their situation at the foot of the table could look even rosier if an appeal against a four-point deduction for breaking financial rules is successful, with news expected next week.

If they were to get just one point back, that would effectively relegate Burnley due to Forest’s superior goal difference.

The Blades’ horrible campaign hit a new low as Hudson-Odoi’s second was the 100th goal they have conceded, making them the first Premier League team to rack up a century in a 38-game season, with Swindon doing it in 1993-94 over 42 games.

Burnley 1 Newcastle United 4

Ruthless Newcastle pushed Burnley closer to the trapdoor with a 4-1 rout at Turf Moor that boosts their Europa League hopes.

It was a crushing afternoon for Burnley as Forest’s win left them five points from safety with only two left to play – a trip to Tottenham next week before Forest visit on the final day.

And it was the same old story. Vincent Kompany’s men began brightly and created a string of chances in the first 15 minutes but Callum Wilson scored from Newcastle’s first real attack 19 minutes in before goals from Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes put the game beyond doubt before half-time.

Alexander Isak missed a penalty early in the second half but then got the fourth moments later as Newcastle moved up to sixth before Manchester United travel to Crystal Palace on Monday.

Ireland international Dara O’Shea headed in a late corner but by then barely half the Burnley fans were still around to see it.

Brentford 0 Fulham 0

Ivan Toney’s goal drought stretched to 10 matches as Brentford fought out a 0-0 draw with west London neighbours Fulham.

The England striker found the net against Belgium in March but has not scored for the Bees since the middle of February and is now on his longest run without a club goal since playing for Peterborough in 2019.

Not that there was much riding on a distinctly low-key derby between two sides safe from relegation and nowhere near a place in Europe.

While Toney did not have a sniff at goal, Raul Jimenez should have won it for Fulham only to fire their best chance over.