Haaland has lost the top scorer title to two of Europe's leading stars

Erling Haaland continues to score consistently in the Premier League, but he admits he must “keep pace” to avoid being overtaken by Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé in the race for the 2025/26 European Golden Shoe.

In the latest Premier League match against Brentford, Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory thanks to an early goal from Haaland. The Norwegian striker scored within 9 minutes by using his strength to break through the defense and finishing low past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The goal came from an accurate long pass with the left foot by Josko Gvardiol.

This was Haaland’s ninth Premier League goal this season and his 18th goal in 11 matches for club and country. However, Man City faced a significant setback as Rodri had to leave the field due to injury in the 21st minute. The Spanish star had just returned after a long recovery from an ACL ligament treatment.

This win marked Pep Guardiola’s 250th Premier League victory, setting a new record by achieving this milestone in just 349 matches. The result helped Man City climb to fifth place, three points behind league leaders Arsenal before the international break. Meanwhile, Brentford remains stuck at 16th position.

After the match, Haaland spoke about the pressure of competing for the European Golden Shoe against top players: “Don’t forget also Mbappé who has also started very well. They are performing excellently, so I have to keep my rhythm. I have never felt better than now. It’s all about preparation and being ready for the matches. You can be physically ready but mental readiness is also essential.”

“Having a young child makes me even better because I disconnect more than ever; I don’t think about football. When you’re younger, you tend to overthink and worry, but now when I get home, I relax much more. I think I owe thanks to my son. For me, this goal is the peak. It’s one of my best goals because of the entire situation.”

Currently, Harry Kane is in outstanding form at Bayern Munich with 11 goals in the Bundesliga and has just set a record as the fastest player to reach 100 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, achieving it in only 104 matches. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé leads La Liga with 9 goals and is also the top scorer in the Champions League after two rounds with 5 goals. He recently surpassed Thierry Henry to become the second-highest scorer in the history of the French national team.