Erling Haaland once again proved why he is redefining the standards of modern goal-scoring as Manchester City powered to a comfortable home victory, while drama, controversy, and contrasting fortunes unfolded across the Premier League over a compelling weekend of action. From record-breaking feats at the Etihad Stadium to late red cards in north London and ongoing struggles at the foot of the table, the league delivered a rich mix of storylines that underlined its relentless intensity.
Manchester City’s 3-0 win over West Ham United was another showcase of Haaland’s extraordinary efficiency and influence. The Norwegian striker, who seems to operate at a level beyond conventional expectations, struck in both halves and also turned provider to cap off a dominant City performance. His latest contribution took him to 19 goals in just 17 league appearances this season, maintaining a remarkable scoring rate that few in the game’s history can rival.
City wasted little time asserting their authority. Haaland was on hand inside the opening five minutes, reacting quickest to Phil Foden’s low cross after an initial effort was blocked. The early breakthrough set the tone for the afternoon, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to dictate possession and tempo against a West Ham team that struggled to cope with City’s movement and precision.
Before the interval, City doubled their advantage through a well-worked move that again featured Haaland’s awareness. Spotting Tijjani Reijnders arriving in space, the striker slipped a neat pass into his path. Reijnders took a steadying touch before unleashing a powerful strike into the roof of the net in the 38th minute, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance and effectively putting the contest beyond West Ham’s reach.
Haaland completed his brace midway through the second half, capitalising on a defensive lapse to make it 3-0 in the 69th minute. The goal was not just another entry on the scoresheet but a landmark moment in Premier League history. It took Haaland to 104 league goals, moving him beyond Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally and level with Didier Drogba, achieved in dramatically fewer matches than both legends. In fact, Haaland reached the figure having played 122 fewer games than Ronaldo, a statistic that underlines the unprecedented nature of his output.
Across all competitions and international duty, Haaland now has 38 goals in 28 appearances for club and country this season. Barring injury, it is shaping up to be the most prolific campaign of his already glittering career, and one that continues to push Manchester City toward another title challenge. The victory temporarily lifted City to the top of the table, one point clear of Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ later fixture at Everton.
Elsewhere, champions Liverpool endured a mixed afternoon in their hard-fought 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur. The match was notable not only for its intensity but also for a succession of flashpoints that left Spurs with nine men by the final whistle. Liverpool struck first through British record signing Alexander Isak, who made an immediate impact after coming on as a substitute. The forward scored within 11 minutes of his introduction, but celebrations were tempered by concern as he suffered a left ankle injury in the act of finishing, following a challenge from Micky van de Ven. Isak was eventually helped from the pitch, casting a shadow over Liverpool’s victory.
Tottenham’s task became significantly harder after Xavi Simons was shown a red card for a studs-up challenge on Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool took advantage of their numerical superiority when Hugo Ekitike headed home to double the visitors’ lead. Although Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs in the 83rd minute to set up a tense finale, any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Cristian Romero was also dismissed for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, leaving Tottenham to finish the match with nine players.
At St James’ Park, fortunes swung dramatically for Nick Woltemade in the space of a week. After enduring the misery of scoring an own goal in a derby defeat to Sunderland, the forward redeemed himself in spectacular fashion by scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes against Chelsea. His early brace gave Newcastle a flying start, but Chelsea showed resilience to claw their way back into the contest.
The visitors reduced the deficit through a precise free-kick from Reece James before Joao Pedro levelled the scores at 2-2. The equaliser came from an unlikely source, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez providing the assist via a long clearance that caught Newcastle’s defence off guard. Despite the comeback, Chelsea’s inconsistent form continued, leaving them fourth in the table after managing just one win from their last five league matches.
Down at the bottom of the standings, Wolves’ struggles deepened as they slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against Brentford. Keane Lewis-Potter struck twice in the second half to condemn Wolves to yet another loss, leaving them without a single win after 17 matches. The grim statistics surrounding their campaign were summed up starkly by OptaJoe, who noted:
"2 - Wolves have the joint-fewest points ever by a side in their first 17 matches of a season in English league history (2), alongside Newport County in the fourth tier in 1970-71 and Sheffield United in the Premier League in 2020-21. Toothless. pic.twitter.com/cjCktrrQvN? OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 20, 2025"
The defeat meant Wolves equalled Sheffield United’s unwanted Premier League record of going 17 games without a win from the start of a season, leaving them rooted firmly to the bottom and facing an increasingly uphill battle for survival.
In contrast, Bournemouth continued to show signs of promise, with winger Antoine Semenyo once again catching the eye. Reportedly on the radar of several top Premier League clubs, including Manchester City and Manchester United, Semenyo demonstrated his quality by curling home a fine goal in a 1-1 draw with Burnley. The visitors ended a seven-match losing streak thanks to a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser from Armando Broja, salvaging a valuable point late on.
Finally, Sunderland’s steady progress since promotion continued with a goalless draw away at Brighton. The result may not have been filled with goals, but it was significant in keeping Sunderland fifth in the table, highlighting their impressive adaptation to life back in the top flight.
As the season gathers pace, Haaland’s relentless march toward the record books remains one of the defining narratives, while the contrasting fortunes of clubs across the division ensure that drama is never far away in the Premier League.
