Haaland Becomes Fastest Player to Reach 100 Goals, Shattering Records

Erling Haaland became the fastest player in Premier League history to score 100 goals, reaching the milestone in just 111 games during Manchester City's wild 5-4 victory over Fulham. The Norwegian striker broke Alan Shearer's previous record by 13 matches, cementing his place among the league's elite scorers in record time.

"It's huge, I'm very proud," Haaland said after the match. "The 100 club is a beautiful thing to be part of, and I'm happy about it. I knew about this record, and this is what I try to do - help the team score goals. This is my job."

The achievement comes at a crucial time for Manchester City, who are fighting to close the gap with league leaders Arsenal. The win cut their deficit to just two points, though Haaland acknowledged the chaotic nature of the nine-goal thriller wasn't exactly textbook football.

"If you were sitting at home, you enjoyed that game," he said. "It was a messy match - nine goals in one game is a lot. In the end, we won and we're happy, but it wasn't our best performance."

Haaland's record puts him in rare company. Only 33 players have reached 100 Premier League goals, and most took significantly longer to get there. Shearer, the league's all-time leading scorer with 260 goals, needed 124 games to hit his first century. Harry Kane required 141 matches, while Thierry Henry took 160 games.

The 24-year-old's scoring rate since joining City from Borussia Dortmund has been extraordinary. He's averaging 0.9 goals per game in the Premier League, a pace that would see him challenge Shearer's overall record if he maintains it throughout his career.

But Haaland isn't getting ahead of himself. City recently suffered back-to-back defeats to Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, and he knows the team needs to stay focused on their own performance rather than watching Arsenal.

"We shouldn't think too much about Arsenal," he said. "We need to focus on ourselves and try to improve and avoid what happened today. Every game is different - you can't think about previous matches, you have to look forward."

The striker also addressed the pressure that comes with playing for one of Europe's biggest clubs. "When you're a striker for Manchester City, you have to deliver big numbers. That's my job. People should criticize me if I don't do it. In the end, I have to deliver the required level."

With a packed fixture schedule ahead, including crucial Premier League and Champions League matches, Haaland's goal-scoring form will be vital for City's hopes of defending their title and competing on multiple fronts this season.