Haaland nets 4 goals as Man City routs Wolves 5
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland scored four goals — including a first-half hat trick — as Manchester City crushed Wolverhampton 5-1 to retain control of the Premier League title race on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s team needed to respond to first-place Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Bournemouth earlier in the day and did so emphatically with another big haul from Haaland.
The Norway striker struck twice from the penalty spot in the first half, either side of a towering header, before adding a fourth with a curling strike.
Substitute Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet, while Wolves’ consolation came from Hwang Hee-chan.
The victory lifted City, which is chasing an unprecedented fourth straight league crown, back within a point of the Gunners. City has three games left, while Arsenal has two.
Haaland’s outstanding display took his tally for the campaign to 36 in all competitions and lifted him to 25 — five clear of his nearest challengers — in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot award. His hat trick was his ninth in City colors.