Erling Haaland marked his Premier League debut with a brace as Manchester City beat West Ham to get their title defence off to a winning start on Sunday.
If there can be one criticism of Pep Guardiola’s side in a domestic context, it’s that his teams don’t tend to start their campaigns particularly fast, which was certainly true of the opener in east London.
The difference, however, was Haaland. Where last year, City missed plenty of chances to lose at Tottenham, the Norway star proved the match-winner at the London Stadium, winning a penalty with a fantastic turn of pace before finishing coolly.
It was that kind of speed, breaking through deep defensive lines that will send shockwaves around the Premier League. Previously, the hope was to frustrate City, who were prone to sometimes letting games slip away amid a flurry of missed chances. These days, there’s a new threat to worry about.
Even when David Moyes’ side grew into the game after the break (they can hardly have offered less than they did in the opening 45), Haaland proved decisive again.
Kevin De Bruyne, who will surely benefit most from the signing, found his new teammate with a pinpoint pass, exposing the kind of space rarely afforded to City before Haaland scored a smooth second.
The home side, meanwhile, offered little threat, which will no doubt do little to make Moyes feel better about a transfer window he’s already criticised.
Things will most probably improve as the club’s new signings bed-in, but there was none of the danger they had shown against the same opposition in May on offer here.