May 4, (THEWILL)- Erling Haaland’s four-goal haul propelled Manchester City to a resounding 5-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, ensuring Pep Guardiola’s side remained hot on the heels of English Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The Norwegian’s first-half hat-trick this season, including two penalties, put City in firm control before he added a fourth after the interval, moving to 25 league goals this campaign.
Despite Arsenal’s earlier 3-0 win over Bournemouth, which had temporarily extended the Gunners’ lead to four points, City responded emphatically at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland capitalised on Rayan Ait-Nouri’s inadvertent foul on Josko Gvardiol to convert the opener from the spot after a VAR review. His towering header in the 35th minute and goal in the 45th minute, the latter another penalty, completed a quickfire treble.
Hwang Hee-chan briefly reduced the deficit early in the second half, but Haaland swiftly restored City’s three-goal cushion with a fierce left-footed strike. Julian Alvarez added gloss to the scoreline late on, as the champions cut Arsenal’s advantage to just one point, with a game in hand against Tottenham Hotspur.
Haaland’s four-goal haul continued another high-scoring season in English football, moving him five clear in the race for the EPL Golden Boot. With 25 goals in 24 appearances, few would bet against the 22-year-old rewriting further records before the campaign concludes.
For Wolves, an 11th-placed finish looks increasingly likely as injuries continue to hamper Tim Jenkins’ squad depth, with this their eighth loss in nine visits to the Etihad.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
