Man City 6-0 Nottm Forest: Jury still out on Haaland after second hat-trick in as many games
Erling Haaland confirmed his hat-trick against Crystal Palace with another hat-trick as Man City beat Nottingham Forest 6-0 at the Etihad.
The 22-year-old scored a hat-trick in 26 minutes in the first half to put Forest to the sword, just four days after doing the same alongside Patrick Vieira.
He is now the first player in the Premier League era to score nine goals in his first five games and Andy Cole and Alan Shearer's record of 34 goals in a season will surely be broken this season.< /p>
It was also the story of another new Man City striker as Julian Alvarez marked his first Premier League start with a brace after the break, with Joao Cancelo also scoring.
The pounding took City's goalscoring column to 19 in five games and underscored how tough they are going to be to stop this season.
Forest, who has already shown enough this season to suggest his return to the top tier won't be fleeting, will be happy to knock this game out early and will see Saturday's clash against Bournemouth with much more relish .
Haaland was under two when Forest, for whom his father played, last visited Manchester City in the league and City are a club unrecognizable from whoever won that second-tier clash 3-0 in 2002 .
They have dominated the Premier League in recent years and are an even scarier prospect with Haaland now in charge of the attack.
It's Forest's first season back in the top flight since 1999 and their night quickly became all about damage limitation after Haaland's first brace put them on cruise control.
He needed just 12 minutes to break the deadlock as he showed brilliant instincts to get past Joe Worrall at the near post and stab Phil Foden's cross past Dean Henderson.
Forest held on for another 11 minutes before scoring again, tapping into an empty net after Neco Williams' tackle on Foden fell perfectly for him from eight yards out.
Man City had another goal ruled out for offside after John Stones converted at the far post in Haaland's flick, but he was in an offside position.
There was no respite for Forest as the Norwegian striker made sure he brought home another match ball in the 38th minute.
Foden's cross found Stones at the back post and the centre-half headed in on goal for Haaland, who passed everyone to nod from the yard.
Haaland isn't the only striker City have brought in this summer and Alvarez wanted a share of the action but his shot from the edge of the box rocked the post as City had to settle for three at the end break.
Forest's respite didn't last long as, five minutes into the second half, it was 4-0 when Cancelo curled an impressive shot into the top corner from 20 yards out.
The onslaught continued and Alvarez also announced his arrival with a goal in the 65th minute.
He showed he was just as reliable in front of goal after he coldly converted Henderson after Riyad Mahrez played him.
Pep Guardiola showed Forest some mercy by pulling Haaland off in the 69th minute, but introduced Kevin De Bruyne, who tried to pull the strings as City chased more goals.
It was the Belgian who created City's sixth goal with three minutes remaining as he emerged from a counterattack, which was completed by Alvarez, who slammed home.
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Erling Haaland confirmed his hat-trick against Crystal Palace with another hat-trick as Man City beat Nottingham Forest 6-0 at the Etihad.
The 22-year-old scored a hat-trick in 26 minutes in the first half to put Forest to the sword, just four days after doing the same alongside Patrick Vieira.
He is now the first player in the Premier League era to score nine goals in his first five games and Andy Cole and Alan Shearer's record of 34 goals in a season will surely be broken this season.< /p>
It was also the story of another new Man City striker as Julian Alvarez marked his first Premier League start with a brace after the break, with Joao Cancelo also scoring.
The pounding took City's goalscoring column to 19 in five games and underscored how tough they are going to be to stop this season.
Forest, who has already shown enough this season to suggest his return to the top tier won't be fleeting, will be happy to knock this game out early and will see Saturday's clash against Bournemouth with much more relish .
Haaland was under two when Forest, for whom his father played, last visited Manchester City in the league and City are a club unrecognizable from whoever won that second-tier clash 3-0 in 2002 .
They have dominated the Premier League in recent years and are an even scarier prospect with Haaland now in charge of the attack.
It's Forest's first season back in the top flight since 1999 and their night quickly became all about damage limitation after Haaland's first brace put them on cruise control.
He needed just 12 minutes to break the deadlock as he showed brilliant instincts to get past Joe Worrall at the near post and stab Phil Foden's cross past Dean Henderson.
Forest held on for another 11 minutes before scoring again, tapping into an empty net after Neco Williams' tackle on Foden fell perfectly for him from eight yards out.
Man City had another goal ruled out for offside after John Stones converted at the far post in Haaland's flick, but he was in an offside position.
There was no respite for Forest as the Norwegian striker made sure he brought home another match ball in the 38th minute.
Foden's cross found Stones at the back post and the centre-half headed in on goal for Haaland, who passed everyone to nod from the yard.
Haaland isn't the only striker City have brought in this summer and Alvarez wanted a share of the action but his shot from the edge of the box rocked the post as City had to settle for three at the end break.
Forest's respite didn't last long as, five minutes into the second half, it was 4-0 when Cancelo curled an impressive shot into the top corner from 20 yards out.
The onslaught continued and Alvarez also announced his arrival with a goal in the 65th minute.
He showed he was just as reliable in front of goal after he coldly converted Henderson after Riyad Mahrez played him.
Pep Guardiola showed Forest some mercy by pulling Haaland off in the 69th minute, but introduced Kevin De Bruyne, who tried to pull the strings as City chased more goals.
It was the Belgian who created City's sixth goal with three minutes remaining as he emerged from a counterattack, which was completed by Alvarez, who slammed home.
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