Premier League title race: Man City close gap on leaders Arsenal to six points after win over Bournemouth
It comes after Arsenal continued their imperious winning run against Burnley on Saturday - their eighth win in a row in all competitions
Are Liverpool in the conversation after finally ending their losing run with a win over Aston Villa?
Get Involved: Are Liverpool and Man City able to mount a title challenge to Arsenal?
Coming up: Thomas Frank (14:00 GMT) & Arne Slot (15:30 GMT) Champions League news conferences
ICYMI: Erling Haaland takes his league tally to 13 for the season | Burnley's Maxime Esteve, with two own goals, is Man City's second highest scorer
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I find it funny that City, a team who pretty much played without a striker between 2019 and 2022, are now relying on their striker to score every single goal. Who said Pep can't adapt?
Steven
According to Opta, if Erling Haaland carries on at the rate he is going, he will smash the record for proportion of a team's goals scored by one player in a Premier League season.
The current holder of the "put the team on your back" award is James Beattie, who scored 23 of Southampton's 43 goals (53.5%) in the 2002-03 season.
Percentage of teams goals scored:
*season still in play
Image source, Getty ImagesClick 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Haaland is a close second to Harry Kane. I don't see Haaland still performing at this high level in 10 years time when he's the age Kane is now.
Jay
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother question might be how you best judge a centre forward and a striker.
Maybe a centre-forward's best metric is goal involvements - goals and assists - while a striker should be judged purely on goals?
We're probably getting a bit ahead of ourselves but here's a reminder of the current all-time Premier League top scorers list.
Could Erling Haaland make his way among this lot sooner rather than later?
Top 10 Premier League scorers of all time:
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
You know, we have a good idea at the start of every day what we would like to talk about in this page, but almost always it is you, the readers, who then take it in one direction or another.
It feels like Tim is taking us down a path here that I wasn't expecting but may be quite interesting:
There is a subtle difference there, isn't there?
Thumbs up if you agree with Tim, thumbs down if you don't.
And please expand by giving us some of your shouts as to the best strikers in history, and the best centre forwards.
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There is a subtle difference between a “striker” and a “centre forward”. A striker is preeminently a goal scorer while a centre forward has other factors, such as bringing in other forwards and occasionally dropping into midfield. Kane is the best centre forward in the world, Haaland the best striker.
Tim
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesSo what is it like to face an in-form Erling Haaland?
Bournemouth's David Brooks gave an insight in his post-match interview with Sky Sports: “The big man up top for them [Erling] Haaland is always a threat, especially when we are being really aggressive. He took his chances well today in the first half, which made us have to go for it a bit more in the second half, and it [the game] got away from us in the end."
On how to stop Haaland: “It’s almost impossible. He’s six foot five, absolutely rapid, strong and brilliant in the air. He’s a fantastic player."
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Let's hear from the man himself.
Erling Haaland told Sky Sports that his first thought is for the team, when asked if he felt unstoppable right now: "I didn't score last game [before Bournemouth].
"I try to help the team to win - that's my goal. Whether that's by scoring, helping or winning duels, it doesn't matter as long as we are winning games.
"I want to help the team become a better football team, that's my job."
Image source, Getty ImagesClick 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Imagine Haaland in La Liga? He'd outscore everyone over there and bully defenders off the pitch. If you can do it in the Premier League you can do it anywhere. I'm a Utd fan and I hate that he's this good!
Ben
He scores goals for fun in one of the most competitive leagues in the world! So yes, he’s the best striker in the world right now!
Matt
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesErling Haaland's double against Bournemouth means he has reached 98 Premier League goals and is just two away from reaching the Premier League 100 club.
He has reached that number in just 107 matches played.
Should he find those two goals in his next 16 Premier League games (I would say there is a solid chance), he will break Alan Shearer's record for the quickest player to reach 100 goals in the competition.
Shearer reached the century after 124 matches played.
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
There will be plenty more time to hear from disillusioned Tottenham supporters later, when manager Thomas Frank holds a news conference before Tuesday's Champions League match against FC Copenhagen.
However, right now we are talking Erling Haaland...
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Classic for a Gooner, Zac at 08:15, has got it the wrong way around. Haaland is the better finisher but Kane has MUCH more to his game with the range of his passing, his assists, his defending etc. Come back please Harry...
Ross, a disillusioned Spurs fan
No way. Haaland is being helped by talented players around him. Harry Kane is much better than him.
Mary
No, Haaland is not the best striker in the world.
Tom
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesUnsurprisingly, Erling Haaland leads the way as Manchester City's top scorer in the Premier League this season.
Who's in second, you ask?
Burnley's Maxime Esteve.
No, seriously.
The Burnley defender scored two own goals in the match against City in September and no City player, other than Haaland, has so far found the net twice in England's top flight during the 2025-26 campaign.
City's top scorers:
*Own goals from an opposition player
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Given Pep's criticism of Spurs a couple of seasons ago, should Man City now be known as 'the Erling Haaland team'?
Alan
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
Manchester City have scored 31 goals in all competitions so far in 2025-26.
Erling Haaland has scored 17 of them.
Percentage wise, that means the Norway forward is responsible for 55% of City's goals so far in this campaign.
No other player in the side has even managed three goals in all competitions.
Image source, Getty ImagesCraig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
Erling Haaland does seem to be synonymous with numbers. He just keeps producing these endless stats of goalscoring brilliance.
The stats get trotted out so often, it's easy to overlook sometimes just how incredible his scoring feats have been since arriving in the Premier League.
However, a popular question that keeps cropping up is whether Manchester City have become too reliant on the big Norwegian?
Man City 3-1 Bournemouth
There are no prizes for guessing which striker Pep Guardiola wants in his Manchester City team.
The Spaniard was full of praise for Erling Haaland in his post-match interview with BBC Sport on Sunday.
"We are so blessed and lucky to have, first of all, an incredible person because he is the sweetest and kindest person," said the City boss.
"He will keep improving. And, after that, as a player his numbers are just outstanding."
Guardiola doesn't understand why Bournemouth goal wasn't disallowed
Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter
So much to upick from that Zac.
Firstly, being the only Gooner in Leeds sounds like a lonely existence, so if there are any other Arsenal supporters in that part of West Yorkshire, please do get in touch.
Secondly, Erling Haaland has more to his overall game than Harry Kane? It feels from past debates on these pages that the general argument was the other way around - that Kane had more to his game but Haaland was the supreme finisher.
Let's open this to the group...which way round is it folks?
Finally, a Gooner plumps for Haaland over Spurs legend Kane is not that surprising really, is it?
Again, let's open this to the group...would you rather have Haaland or Kane in your team? Or would you sidestep them both to pick Kylian Mbappe?
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Haaland vs Kane vs Mbappe debate. I don’t see Mbappe play enough to comment. Kane is a better finisher. Haaland overall has more to his game - stronger, faster, and has X factor that Kane lacks. If I could pick one for Arsenal - Haaland.
Zac, only Gooner in Leeds
Image source, Getty ImagesMan City 3-1 Bournemouth
Shamoon Hafez
Football news reporter at Etihad Stadium
Haaland scores twice to send Man City second
Erling Haaland was back on the scoresheet with two goals to help Manchester City return to winning ways in the Premier League and leapfrog Bournemouth into second place.
Pep Guardiola's side had suffered their first defeat in 10 games at Aston Villa last Sunday, with Haaland not finding the net for only the second time this season.
But the Norwegian's double proved crucial against the in-form Cherries as City moved six points behind leaders Arsenal.
The hosts went ahead in the 17th minute courtesy of Haaland, who latched on to Rayan Cherki's neat header on the halfway line and there was only going to be one outcome as the striker stroked home an unerring finish.
The visitors restored parity just eight minutes later when Tyler Adams reacted quickest to crash home following Gianluigi Donnarumma's miscued punch, although the goalkeeper felt he had been held by David Brooks at the corner and was booked for his protestations.
Haaland linked up again with Cherki before going around Djordje Petrovic and coolly converted his 13th league goal of the campaign - and 26 in all competitions for club and country.
And Nico O'Reilly burst forward at the other end on the hour mark before drilling in a precise, finish low into the corner to seal an impressive success.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 19 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 17 |
| |
| 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 16 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 13 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 11 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 11 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 11 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 7 |
| |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 6 |
| |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 2 |
|
