Erling Haaland proclaimed ‘this is why I’m here’ after he bailed out Manchester City with a brilliant, quickfire hat-trick in their 4-2 win over Crystal Palace.
After winning the Premier League four times in the last five seasons, there were few improvements Pep Guardiola could make to his dominant side. But after winning the title without a recognised striker last term, the arrival of the prolific Haaland was a daunting one for their top-flight rivals.
Having found the net three times in his first three league games, the home clash with Crystal Palace represented his first seminal moment in a sky blue shirt. And it was on an afternoon where his impact was so desperately needed.
