Erling Haaland Can Be the Difference in Exciting Premier League Title Race
Making a scintillating start to the 2025/26 season, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland looks to be back to his formidable best.
The Norwegian superstar has been terrorising defenders in the Premier League and the City forward could prove a decisive factor in what is shaping up to be an intriguing title race in England’s top flight.
Haaland Looks a New Man at the Etihad
The 2024/25 campaign saw City and Haaland struggle to live up to the high expectations they have set themselves under manager Pep Guardiola. City, who are 4/1 in the betting odds online to win the 2025/26 Premier League title, finished in third place last season, 13 points behind winners Liverpool. The Reds, who are 11/4 in the sports betting tips, shone in Arne Slot’s first campaign in charge at Anfield and this season it’s City who are looking to bridge the gap to the Merseysiders. Haaland’s campaign was certainly not helped by injuries and playing in a side that sorely missed the influence of Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Rodri due to a long-term injury. Scoring 22 goals in the league that season, it was still a good return from Haaland but the football world knows the Scandinavian star is capable of so much more.
There are certainly positive signs at the start of this new campaign that Haaland is back and ready to help City push for a ninth Premier League title. Scoring 18 goals in his first 11 games for both club and country this term, the 25-year-old has looked unstoppable at times. Haaland’s goal in the Cityzens’ 1-0 win at Brentford was the perfect example of that. Picking up the ball and outmuscling a Bees defender before slotting the ball home, Haaland is frightening when in this sort of form and there is really no other striker out there like him.
City in a Three-Horse Race
With Arsenal and Liverpool also enjoying largely positive starts to the season, it looks like it might well be a three-horse race for the Premier League crown this term. Arsenal have been defensively strong, with just three goals conceded in their opening seven league outings. Signing Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres over the summer, the Gunners have also added much-needed firepower in the final third.
Liverpool were also busy in the summer window, signing their own Swedish star in Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. Making a strong start to the campaign and finding ways to win games late on, the Reds did stumble with 2-1 defeats to both Crystal Palace and Chelsea. With a squad packed with quality, it won’t be long until Liverpool find their rhythm again and push to try to retain their Premier League crown.
City seem to have a joker in the pack in the form of Haaland, whose early-season form has made the rest of the Premier League sit up and take notice. A relentless goalscorer, if Haaland can stay fit for the majority of the campaign, City will certainly take some stopping this season.
