Manchester City beat West Ham in the 17th round of the Premier League, and the heart of the game lies in the facts. City repeated the scoreline from the previous round, reached a fifth straight league win and once again relied on two goals from Erling Haaland, who remains the league’s clear top scorer. The win was settled early, managed without scares and backed up by numbers that help explain why the Norwegian forward continues to dominate the English headlines.
The opening goal came just four minutes in. Foden sent in the cross, Haaland finished in two touches and put City ahead in a quick sequence that needed no long buildup. City added a second before halftime through Reijnders and came back from the break in control of the lead. In the 69th minute of the second half, Savinho pushed forward down the left, found Rico Lewis, who set up Haaland for City’s third goal.
Numbers that explain Haaland’s current form
With the two goals, Haaland reached 19 in 17 games in this Premier League season, keeping his isolated lead in the scoring race. Across all competitions in the 2025 26 season, he now has 25 goals in 23 matches, a return that reflects the consistency he has shown since arriving at the club. His current output follows the same pattern seen in recent seasons, including a year when City were less dominant but the forward still delivered.
The match against West Ham also carried historical weight. Haaland’s second goal was his 149th for Manchester City, a total that moved him past Francis Lee on the club’s all time scoring list. In 169 appearances, the number nine is already closing in on Joe Hayes and Billy Meredith, both with 152 goals, as well as Colin Bell, who scored 153. These are straightforward, recorded figures with no room for interpretation.
Consistency since his debut season
Haaland’s path at City continues to line up with the data from previous seasons. In his debut campaign in 2022 23, he set records by scoring 36 Premier League goals and 52 overall. The following season, he once again finished as the league’s top scorer with 27 goals in 31 games, along with 38 across all competitions. In 2024 25, even with the team facing more challenges, he maintained a high level of production with 34 goals in 48 matches.
Now 25 years old, Haaland begins the 2025 26 season with numbers similar to the best stretches of his time at the club. City, meanwhile, keep stacking wins and remain competitive in the Premier League. Against West Ham, there was no unexpected script, just confirmation of a pattern that keeps repeating week after week, wins, goals and direct involvement from the league’s leading scorer.