Haaland hat trick powers Manchester City past Chelsea
Erling Haaland stole the show with a blistering hat trick as Manchester City demolished Chelsea 4-2 in a thrilling pre-season friendly at Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.
The reigning Premier League champions produced a dominant display, scoring three goals in the opening five minutes and adding another shortly after the hour mark. Haaland, wearing the captain’s armband, showcased his world-class talent with clinical finishing.
The Norwegian striker opened the scoring with a fourth-minute penalty before doubling City’s lead just 17 seconds later. Oscar Bobb extended the advantage to three in the 55th minute, and Haaland completed his hat trick just 25 seconds later.
Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke pulled goals back for Chelsea, but it was too little too late for the Blues.
The match served as a tantalizing preview of the upcoming Premier League season, with City and Chelsea set to face off in the opening weekend on August 18.
In another high-profile pre-season clash, Liverpool secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Manchester United in front of a crowd of 77,559 at Columbia, South Carolina. Fabio Carvalho, Mo Salah, and Kostas Tsimikas found the net for the Reds.
(Source: AFP)
