Erling Haaland Treble Fires Manchester City, Arsenal Pay Price For Rice Red Card

Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to the top of the Premier League with a hat-trick in the champions' 3-1 win at West Ham, while Declan Rice was controversially sent off as Arsenal were held to a damaging 1-1 draw by Brighton on Saturday. Haaland's second hat-trick in successive matches ensured Pep Guardiola's team extended their flawless start to the new season. City have won the opening three matches of their bid for an unprecedented fifth successive English title and Haaland has been their driving force.

The Norway striker netted in the opening weekend win at Chelsea, hit a treble in the rout of Ipswich and tore West Ham apart with the latest display of his predatory finishing.

Haaland has scored an incredible 70 goals in 69 league games since joining City from Borussia Dortmund.

The 24-year-old put the visitors ahead in the 10th minute from Bernardo Silva's pass before City defender Ruben Dias turned Jarrod Bowen's cross into his own net nine minutes later.

Haaland restored City's advantage in the 30th minute, drilling into the roof of the net from the edge of the area, and wrapped up the points in the 83rd minute with a deft chipped finish.

Lavishing praise on Haaland, Guardiola said: "No words for him. All we can do is make him play better and better and give him as many balls as possible to the box. It's what we have to do. We are there and we added quality.

"This is a team. When you have to run backward, no one asks who has to do it. Everyone has to. When we see Erling doing that, it is fantastic."

Both Arsenal and Brighton had maximum points from their opening two games and the Gunners looked set for another victory when Kai Havertz pounced on a Lewis Dunk error to lob in the opening goal.

However, the game