Fastest to 100 Premier League goals! Haaland sets a new benchmark in the Premier League

By Han Bing Following a three-game goal drought, Haaland has now set a new Premier League record for scoring efficiency. At just 25 years old, he reached 100 Premier League goals in only 111 matches at Craven Cottage, surpassing Shearer’s record of 124 games. He also leads other stars like Kane (141 games), Agüero (147 games), Henry (160 games), and Salah (162 games). His unprecedented finishing ability has been etched into Premier League history.

In early November, after scoring 17 goals in 13 matches across all competitions, Guardiola compared Haaland to Messi and Ronaldo, stating the Norwegian striker has reached the peak level of these two legends: “Messi and Ronaldo have maintained their peak for 15 years, and Haaland has reached that level. His hunger for goals and the way he scores are truly impressive.” Guardiola, who coached Messi at his prime, clearly values Haaland highly: “Haaland is like Messi and Ronaldo; he is easy to coach and manage, and he has definitely reached their level.” Earlier this season, Haaland scored in 12 consecutive matches across all competitions, breaking the record previously held by Ronaldo (11 matches) and Messi (10 matches). Although Messi holds the La Liga record for consecutive scoring (21 matches), his goal consistency for the national team is less stable compared to Haaland and Ronaldo.

Of Haaland’s 100 Premier League goals, 71 were scored with his left foot, 11 with his right, 17 headers, and one with his hip. He scored 57 goals at home and 43 away. Wolves are the team he has scored against the most (10 goals), while Anfield is the only Premier League stadium where he has yet to score. Haaland has recorded one four-goal game, seven hat-tricks, and 17 braces, with only six goals coming from outside the box, truly making him a penalty area king. He has 30 match-winning goals and 45 game-changing goals, highlighting his vital importance to Manchester City.

Haaland also has 18 assists in the Premier League, averaging involvement in a goal every 78 minutes, making him the most efficient player in Premier League history in goal contributions. He has successively broken the Premier League’s fastest records for reaching 20 goals (14 games), 30 goals (27 games), 40 goals (39 games), and 50 goals (48 games). As the 35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals, Haaland’s rapid achievement secures his place as the top striker after the Messi-Ronaldo era. Guardiola has officially recognized Haaland’s status as the world’s best striker: “His goal tally is incredible, and there is no doubt he is one of the best forwards. For a striker, goals are the biggest issue, but for him, there is no question about it.”

With one goal and two assists against Fulham, Haaland’s career goal involvement surpassed 400. This includes 281 goals and 60 assists for clubs, plus 55 goals and 6 assists for Norway’s national team, totaling 402 goal involvements. He has surpassed Ronaldo, who is the same age, but trails Messi. Ronaldo’s stats are 156 club goals with 84 assists and 23 national team goals with 17 assists, totaling 280 goal involvements. Messi’s figures are 276 club goals with 133 assists and 31 national goals with 22 assists, totaling 462 goal involvements.

After becoming the fastest to reach 100 Premier League goals, Haaland’s next record target is Jamie Vardy’s record for consecutive Premier League scoring in a single season (11 matches), with Haaland’s current best being 7 matches. At the start of the season, he seemed on track to break his own record, but a 0-1 loss to Aston Villa in the 9th round ended that dream. So far this season, Haaland has scored 15 goals in 14 Premier League matches. At his current pace, he is set to exceed 40 goals this season, potentially breaking his own Premier League single-season scoring record of 36 goals.

It is expected that Haaland will surpass Ronaldo (103 goals) and Drogba (104 goals) in Premier League goals this month, and breaking Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record (260 goals) is only a matter of time. If he maintains his current rate of one goal every 91 minutes, he will become the Premier League’s top scorer after 294 matches, just as he turns 30. Guardiola is confident: “Players like Messi and Ronaldo who maintain high performance over a long time must be extremely focused, professional, and passionate about football. Haaland’s future in the Premier League is limitless.” Given modern biotechnology’s protective effects, Haaland is likely to have a long career like Ronaldo and Messi, destined to leave a lasting mark on the Premier League.