Scoring machine has no mercy: Haaland's heroics kill Toffees

Man City can put in a poor performance, be uninspired or subpar, and struggle, but as long as Erling Haaland is on his usual level - which is below reach for most world-class strikers - they don't have to worry. Today, Everton felt the Norwegian's rage, as he almost single-handedly handed them a 2-0 defeat.

After City's mediocre first half - in which Haaland hit the bar, wasting the team's best chance - Pep Guardiola's scoring machine locked in on the target and netted twice in the span of just five minutes, in the 58th and 63rd minutes.

The Toffees failed to bounce back after such a blow, while the Cityzens moved to the top of the Premier League table, at least until Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham play their games.

Even before the game, it was clear that David Moyes' men would be a tough nut to crack, even without Jack Grealish, who was unable because he was the Cityzens' loanee at Everton.

The home team had possession control and dominance, but the Toffees' attempts were more concrete. Beto threatened twice, but failed to hit the target, while Iliman Ndiaye tested Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made a great save.

On the other hand, Erling Haaland's header, which crashed against the bar, was by far the best chance in the match, but apart from that moment, the Cityzens were relatively quiet.

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Only when the break was approaching did Guardiola's crew manage to create two decent opportunities, but Jordan Pickford stopped Jeremy Doku one-on-one, while Nathan Ake's header went narrowly wide of the left post.

After a goalless first half, City picked up the pace, and it took them only 13 minutes to break the deadlock! They organized a fantastic attack over the right-hand side, Nico O'Reilly crossed the ball inside, where Haaland smashed it in with a powerful header, scoring his tenth Premier League goal of the season.

Nevertheless, when the Norwegian machine starts "terrorizing" the rivals, it doesn't stop. Just five minutes later, Haaland completed a brace, exploiting Savinho's nice pass and Pickford's somewhat clumsy reaction, making it 2-0!

The remainder of the match was as simple as it gets for the home crew, as they easily defended their lead against the disheartened rivals. The impression is that Everton missed their chances to stun City in the first half, as Haaland's heroics absolutely crushed their fighting spirit.

This victory moved Man City to the top of the EPL table, at least until Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham play their games in the current round. On the other hand, the Toffees are ninth, though today's loss doesn't spoil the excellent impression they have left since the beginning of the season.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 8

Saturday

Nottingham Forest - Chelsea 0-3 (0-0)

/Acheampong 49, Neto 52, James 84/

Brighton - Newcastle 2-1 (1-0)

/Welbeck 41, 84 - Woltemade 76/

Burnley - Leeds 2-0 (1-0)

/Ugochukwu 18, Tchaouna 68/

Crystal Palace - Bournemouth 3-3 (0-2)

/Mateta 64, 69, 90+7 pen - Kroupi 7, 38, Christie 89/

Manchester City - Everton 2-0 (0-0)

/Haaland 58, 63/

Sunderland - Wolverhampton 2-0 (1-0)

/Mukiele 16, Krejci 90+3 og/

19.30: (6.00) Fulham (3.90) Arsenal (1.58)

Sunday

16.00: (2.15) Tottenham (3.45) Aston Villa (3.35)

18.30: (1.63) Liverpool (4.00) Manchester Utd. (5.30)

Monday

22.00: (2.55) West Ham (3.30) Brentford (2.80)

***odds are subject to change***