Taking the EPL by storm

Anyone who questioned whether Erling Haaland could cut it in the English Premier League (EPL) has certainly eaten their fair share of humble pie since the beginning of the season. The Norwegian soccer star has bagged 14 goals in just eight games in the EPL. To put that into context, that’s more than half the amount that won Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah the Golden Boot last season.

netted a hattrick in three of the eight EPL matches he’s played

Not only has Haaland scored an unbelievable number of goals already for Manchester City, he has done so in an emphatic fashion. The 22-year-old has netted a hattrick in three of the eight EPL matches he’s played – one in each of his last three home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium. His latest came in Sunday’s 6-3 win against bitter rivals Manchester United:

Haaland’s EPL start has proven so impressive sportsbooks are favoring the striker to break some league records before the season is over. After his latest hattrick performance this weekend, bet365 has given odds of -250 for him to score 35+ goals this season, an implied probability of 71%. The current record for goals in a single 38-match season is held by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah with 32.

Among the greats

With 14 goals so far, Erling Haaland will soon find himself among the greats of the EPL if he continues his scoring streak. While Salah currently holds the title for the most goals in a 38-match season, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole have accumulated more in the old 44-game format. Both racked up 34 goal in the 1990s, with Shearer bagging them for Blackburn and Cole for Newcastle.

current rate of 1.75 goals per game

If he continues his streak, Haaland will surpass all of these legends by far. In fact, if he continues scoring at his current rate of 1.75 goals per game, the Scandinavian star will hit at least 66 goals this season. No sportsbooks are offering odds for this many goals on their sites, but bet365 thinks Haaland definitely has a chance of breaking the 40 barrier with odds of +137 giving a 42% chance.

One bettor is definitely hoping Haaland can make it to 40. English poker pro Patrick Leonard claims he made a $2,500 bet with a friend at odds of 350/1 for Haaland to reach the milestone. He took to Twitter on Sunday to share his impressive stats so far:

A record breaker already

Haaland has already shown he has what it takes to break records in the EPL. Staggeringly, the previous record for a player to reach three hat-tricks in the division was 48 matches secured by Michael Owen for Liverpool. That’s six times as long as it’s taken Haaland to reach the milestone. It’s also the same number of hattricks Cristiano Ronaldo ever scored in the league.

Haaland also has plenty of records from Germany. Playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, he became the first and only Dortmund player to score on his debut in the league, the DFB Cup, and the Champions League. He is also the first Bundesliga player to score a hattrick from the bench, the youngest to score four goals in a single game, and the first to score five goals in his opening two games.

What else can he win?

Bettors hoping to back Haaland have other options for wagering. The City forward also has a strong chance of winning various awards this season. Of course, this includes the Golden Boot for most goals scored in the EPL. Predictably, he is the strong favorite at -700 with William Hill, with his closest rival Harry Kane (+1000) on half the number of goals.

a firm favorite for the PFA Player’s Player of the Year Award

Outside of the goal scoring awards, Haaland looks like a firm favorite for the PFA Player’s Player of the Year Award. Sky Betting and Gaming has the Norwegian at -200 to take home the trophy, awarded based on a vote among the members of the players’ trade union. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool was the last to win this award in June.

Finally, an award that Haaland has a much smaller chance of taking home is the Ballon d’Or. According to Irish sportsbook Paddy Power, the Man City man has a +1600 chance of claiming the annual award given to the world’s best player. Many predict Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (-3300) will take it this year after guiding his team to Champions League victory in May.