Premier League 2025-26: Haaland stars with double as Manchester City beat Bournemouth

Erling Haaland produced another masterclass in ruthless finishing with two goals on Sunday as Manchester City beat high-flying Bournemouth 3-1 to move into second place in the Premier League.

The big Norwegian struck twice at half-time in the first half at the Etihad Stadium to leave Pep Guardiola’s side six points behind leaders Arsenal on 19 points, while Bournemouth, who suffered their first defeat in nine league games, dropped to fourth on 18 points.

Haaland, who is at the top of the Premier League table with thirteen goals in ten games, broke the deadlock in the seventeenth minute. He headed the ball forward from just beyond the halfway line and then charged towards goal before coolly firing past Djordje Petrovic.

Bournemouth hit back in the 25th minute through Tyler Adams. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn’t get a clean shot on the ball and it fell to Adams, who poked it in from close range. City shouted for a foul on Donnarumma, but after a VAR check the goal stood.

The visitors did not stay level for long as Haaland restored City’s lead eight minutes later, beating Bournemouth’s defense before rounding Petrovic and firing home a left-footed shot from a tight angle.

Nico O’Reilly struck from just inside the penalty area to add a third for City in the 60th minute when he collected a pass from Phil Foden and slotted the ball through the legs of Marcos Senesi and into the net.

«We played very well,» Guardiola said. «We had to be so coordinated with the pressure and with our defense. They played very well and of course Erling was decisive again.»

Haaland has scored 26 goals in just 16 appearances for club and country this season and on Sunday became the third player in Premier League history to score two or more goals in four consecutive home games, after Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler.

“I didn’t score in the last game (a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa),” Haaland told Sky Sports. «I try to help the team win. That is my goal and even by scoring or helping to win games it doesn’t matter. I want to help the team get better, that is my job.»

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Haaland laughed when asked about being sent off before completing his hat-trick, saying: «There were probably a few fantasy managers who weren’t so happy.»

Bournemouth started well with Eli Junior Kroupi celebrating what he believed was the first goal of the match in the opening minute before being quickly ruled offside.

The visitors squandered several chances, with Kroupi firing into the side netting and then having a hard shot pushed away by Donnarumma in the space of two minutes early in the second half.

“It wasn’t a bad performance from us,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. «We start games quite well. Even when they scored the first goal, we had a lot of control. You have to accept the way we play, there are risks.»

City, who had 15 shots to Bournemouth’s eight, pushed for a fourth goal until the final whistle, with Omar Marmoush firing into the side netting and then Tijjani Reijnders unleashing a blistering shot that Petrovic was able to stop just seconds later.

Published on November 3, 2025