Erling Haaland Strikes Twice as City Cruise Past Bournemouth
Unstoppable Force at the Etihad
Pep Guardiola had challenged his Manchester City players to ease the goalscoring burden on Erling Haaland. The response? The Norwegian simply did it himself again. Two first-half goals from Haaland powered City to a 3–1 victory over Bournemouth and reaffirmed his status as the Premier League’s ultimate finisher.
With those strikes, Haaland moved to 13 league goals this season and an extraordinary 98 in just 107 Premier League appearances. His dominance shows no sign of slowing. For all of Guardiola’s talk about shared responsibility, it is still Haaland who defines City’s cutting edge.
The Etihad crowd roared in appreciation when Guardiola substituted him in the 82nd minute. Another day, another brace, another reminder that City’s No. 9 is built differently.
Clinical from the Start
Bournemouth’s plan was clear — press high, attack directly, and hope City’s possession play left gaps. It worked briefly when Eli Junior Kroupi had the ball in the net early on, only to see the flag raised.
Moments later, the contrast in finishing was brutal. From a City counter, Foden and Nico González combined before Rayan Cherki nodded the ball into Haaland’s path. One touch to control, one to accelerate, one to score. His first of the day came after just 17 minutes, a classic example of pace and precision.
Haaland’s celebration — a robotic mime — was as calculated as his finish. Later, on social media, he joked: “Guess I couldn’t hide it any longer.”
Bournemouth’s brief joy came midway through the half when Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner, allowing Tyler Adams to level from close range. But parity didn’t last long.
Haaland Strikes Again
Within minutes, City punished Bournemouth’s high line once more. Foden slipped a pass into Cherki, who released Haaland with perfect timing. The striker cut across the defender and rounded goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic with ease to restore City’s lead.
Bournemouth could have no complaints — every time they pushed up, City sliced through. Haaland’s movement was relentless, dragging defenders into chaos. By halftime, City’s 2–1 advantage looked untouchable.
O’Reilly Caps Off a Confident Display
After the break, Guardiola’s side maintained control but never lost focus. Bournemouth tried to counter, yet City’s pressing and composure in possession suffocated their efforts. Donnarumma’s fingertip save from Kroupi kept the lead intact, and soon after, City struck again.
It was a goal born of chemistry and precision. Cherki played a slick one-two with Foden before threading a subtle toe-poke to Nico O’Reilly. On his 200th Premier League appearance, the young left-back surged forward and drilled a low shot beyond Petrovic.
That made it 3–1 and sealed the points for City, who eased through the final stages. The home fans rose when Haaland was withdrawn, their applause echoing across the Etihad — another masterclass from the Norwegian machine.
Guardiola’s Quiet Satisfaction
For Guardiola, this was more than three points. It was control, structure, and resilience — the qualities that shape title contenders. Foden was vibrant, Cherki dynamic, and O’Reilly decisive. Yet once again, the story centered on Haaland.
The forward has now scored in six consecutive matches and looks sharper with each appearance. Whether with instinctive finishes or intelligent movement, he continues to carry City’s attack on his broad shoulders.
It was another step toward closing the gap at the top of the table, and a reminder that as long as Haaland is fit, Manchester City remain terrifying.
