Haaland scores hat-trick as Manchester City hit Nottingham Forest for six

Who will bet against Erling Haaland obliterating Sergio Agüero’s club record 260 strikes for Manchester City if this ruthless goal-assassin continues at the current rate? Here was the centre-forward’s second hat-trick in five days to register nine finishes in five matches: one more than the brilliant Argentinian returned in the same number during his start in City livery. Agüero took 390 appearances to reach his final tally and Haaland could eclipse this breath-taking ratio too.

If star billing rightly goes to the 14th three-goal haul of the centre-forward’s career, just as impressive were his lightning runs and gut-busting desire to press when required.

In the latest complete team display of the Pep Guardiola era, Haaland offered further evidence he is adding a different, frightening dimension to City. Nottingham Forest, fielding seven of Steve Cooper’s plethora of new additions, ended humbled by the lesson their hosts gave.

Bernardo Silva’s mazy run gave Scott McKenna a first test: the No 26, bamboozled momentarily, flipped the ball out for a corner. This was zipped to Julian Álvarez, making his full debut, and Forest scrambled it away for a second dead ball from the same right quadrant. This time Gündogan’s delivery took a flick off Rodri and Alvarez, again, was denied.

Here was a welcome back to City for a league game after a two-decade cessation, the blue wave continuing via Phil Foden’s cute chip that had Silva rushing to collect before being thwarted.

Forest were under siege and, now, were sucker-punched. A fourth Gündogan corner – from the left – was tapped short to Foden who, unmarked, dropped a deft lob into the area.

Ryan Yates, bafflingly, let this bounce, Dean Henderson was a statue on his line, Joe Worrall