Haaland opens his account with a sublime header against Palace

Erling Haaland scored his first goal of the season with a sublime header against Crystal Palace, giving Manchester City the lead. The Norwegian had started the 2026-2027 campaign without much impact in the opening match against Bournemouth, where the Citizens had to settle for a late comeback thanks to goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol. But it’s impossible to suppress a player of his talent for long: Haaland opened the scoring with an aerial finish that left Dean Henderson helpless. The striker rose higher than everyone else to power the ball into the net after a cross from Semenyo from the left wing.

A fresh look, unshaken efficiency

Haaland debuted with a shorter, neater hairstyle before the match, but it did nothing to diminish his precision in front of goal. After being limited to few clear chances in the first game under Enzo Maresca, the 26-year-old striker displayed perfect timing to outjump the trajectory of Semenyo’s cross. His ability to rise above defenders and generate colossal power on the ball confirms why he remains the spearhead of Manchester’s attack in the title race. His statistics speak for themselves: since arriving at the Etihad, the Norwegian has never scored fewer than 30 goals in a season, with a total of 161 goals in four full campaigns. His long-term contract leaves no doubt about the future growth of this tally.

A season set to be even more prolific

Haaland’s numbers since 2022 are relentless: 52 goals in 53 matches in 2022-2023, 38 in 45 matches in 2023-2024, 34 in 48 matches in 2024-2025, and 37 in 50 matches in 2025-2026. With 28 assists already to his name, the Norwegian striker has established himself as an inexhaustible goal machine. His influence on City’s offensive play makes him a major asset in maintaining their Premier League dominance. As the Citizens look to assert themselves as early title favorites, Haaland has reminded everyone why he is one of the best strikers in the world. His goal against Palace marks the beginning of a season that already looks set to be off to the best possible start.