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Erling Haaland has yet another opportunity to make history in English football as he takes the field for Manchester City’s Premier League match against Brentford. Haaland has been on a hot streak, scoring back-to-back hat-tricks in games against Ipswich Town and West Ham, bringing his tally to seven goals in just three games this season.
In addition to his club performance, Haaland scored for Norway in their 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Austria before being granted time off due to the passing of a close family friend, Ivar Eggja. Eggja, a long-time friend of Haaland’s father Alfie and a mentor to Erling, passed away at 59.
City manager Pep Guardiola commented on the situation: “It’s a tough moment for him and his family. It’s sad news, and our thoughts are with them.” Despite the difficult circumstances, Guardiola decided that Haaland is mentally and physically ready to start the match.
Haaland will lead City’s attack, with Jack Grealish and Brazil’s Savinho, who returns from a knee injury, flanking him. Defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones are making their first starts of the season, while Ilkay Gundogan is set for his first start since rejoining City. The bench features talent like Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Josko Gvardiol.
If Haaland scores another hat-trick, he will join a rare group of players in English football history to score hat-tricks in three consecutive matches. The last player to achieve this was Liverpool’s Jack Balmer in 1946. Others include Tottenham’s Frank Osborne (1925), Leeds United’s Tom Jennings (1926), and Everton’s Dixie Dean (1928).
City’s lineup for the match against Brentford is:
**Formation (3-3-3-1):** Ederson — Walker, Stones, Akanji — Kovacic, Gundogan, Lewis — Savinho, De Bruyne, Grealish — Haaland.