EPL: Haaland Fires Man City to Top Spot with 3–0 Win at West Ham

Erling Haaland delivered a dominant performance as Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table with a convincing 3–0 victory over West Ham United on Saturday, while Chelsea came from behind to earn a 2–2 draw away at Newcastle.

City’s win piles pressure on title rivals Arsenal, who can reclaim top spot ahead of Christmas with a positive result against Everton later in the day. Pep Guardiola’s side extended their impressive run to seven consecutive wins in all competitions, underlining their growing momentum in the title race.

The match threatened to turn into a rout early on as Haaland opened the scoring just five minutes after kickoff. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola initially denied the Norwegian striker, but the rebound fell kindly for Haaland, who smashed the ball into the top corner.

City doubled their advantage shortly before half-time, with Haaland turning provider. The striker set up Tijjani Reijnders, who calmly finished to score his first goal for the club and give City firm control heading into the break.

West Ham showed more urgency after the restart and created several chances to reduce the deficit, but their profligacy in front of goal proved costly. The missed opportunities left the Hammers rooted in the relegation zone, compounding their struggles this season.

Haaland, in contrast, was clinical once again. With 21 minutes remaining, the ball broke in his favour inside the area and he made no mistake, scoring his second of the match and his 38th goal of the season across club and country.

The result lifts Manchester City one point clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League standings, reinforcing their status as strong contenders as the festive period approaches.