Haaland leads Man City to win over Everton with second-half double

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland shoots at goal as Everton’s Jordan Pickford makes a save during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Oct. 18, 2025. (Reuters)

• The 25-year-old Haaland broke the deadlock in the 58th minute
• The Norwegian doubled City’s lead five minutes later

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Erling Haaland kept up his torrid scoring pace with two goals in five second-half minutes on Saturday to lift City provisionally top of the table with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton.
Pep Guardiola’s men have 16 points after eight games, before Arsenal and Liverpool, now second and third respectively, play their games this weekend. Everton dropped to 10th on 11 points.
The 25-year-old Haaland — who scored in an 11th consecutive game for club and country for a season total of 23 goals — broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he leapt to head home Nico O’Reilly’s cross from the left.
The Norwegian doubled City’s lead five minutes later when he latched onto Savinho’s cross and struck a blistering left-foot shot from the middle of the box that was slightly deflected by Everton’s James Tarkowski past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Haaland was hungry to complete a hat-trick, with three brilliant chances in the dying minutes, with Pickford racing out to save two of them with his legs. Haaland took the ball around Pickford on the third, but his looping shot from an impossibly tight angle dropped wide of the net.
Haaland shook his head in frustration, while the crowd chanted “Haaland! Haaland!” for his efforts.
City’s Phil Foden hailed Haaland for breaking the deadlock, calling the moment “very important.”
“We know he’s got that quality to time his runs to perfection and be in the right position. If they mark him out of the game he is still capable of scoring and we know he only needs one chance to score.
“He remained very patient, there wasn’t a lot of space for him today. And as you can see he is always there for us at the right times, that is the sign of a world class striker.”
There was no emotional homecoming for Everton winger Jack Grealish, who was ineligible to face his parent club. A TV camera showed Grealish at the game, but the absence of the league’s joint assist leader was a gaping hole for David Moyes’ team.
City, who thoroughly dominated in the second half, had 19 shots to Everton’s five, and seven on target to the visitors’ one.
Everton squandered a handful of chances. Early in the game Iliman Ndiaye raced down the right side before sending a cross to Beto who slid to just get his foot on the ball but poked it wide.
City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped a long shot from Ndiaye over the bar later in the first half.