Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League goalscoring record is already an 'attainable target' for Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland. That is the view of Michael Owen, who believes his former Newcastle United team-mate could be surpassed after a 'frightening' start to Haaland's debut season in England.
The summer signing from Borussia Dortmund netted his third hat-trick in as many home games as Pep Guardiola's side ran riot in the Manchester derby on Sunday. Haaland and Phil Foden both bagged a treble as the reigning champions thrashed their neighbours in a 6-3 victory.
The latest hat-trick means Haaland has already scored 14 times in just eight top-flight appearances, and the 22-year-old is comfortably clear as the quickest player to score three Premier League hat-tricks. Owen is next on the list, having taken 48 Liverpool appearances to achieve the same feat.
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Shearer stands clear in the all-time Premier League standings with 260 goals from his time with Blackburn and Newcastle. England and Tottenham striker Harry Kane has long outlined his ambition to overtake the Magpies' legendary number nine, but Owen feels Haaland's first two months at City suggests the summer signing could be the man to put this record 'in doubt'.
He told Premier League Productions: "It's frightening for the rest of the league. We've spoken about it before, we talk about all of the records he's breaking now but what about the long-term record.
"He's hundreds away from it, but it's so realistic because of the rate he's scoring at the moment. It's so realistic that the Alan Shearer record has got to be in doubt, it's got to be an attainable target already. How are we saying that after he's only been at the club a couple of months?"
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