It looked to be a case of same-old same-old for Manchester City on Saturday as they found themselves trailing at half-time to a familiar foe. Crystal Palace were living up to their bogey team reputation as they went into the interval 2-0 up.
The London side had taken points off City in three of their previous six meetings, but Erling Haaland made sure that history didn't repeat itself. The £51m summer signing scored a sensational second-half hat-trick to earn City a 4-2 win, after Bernardo Silva had pulled one back for the Blues with a deflected effort.
Some had questioned Haaland's suitability to a City team that has operated without a striker for the best part of two years, but already he is proving that he will be a roaring success at the Etihad Stadium. Scoring a brace on his Premier League debut was a special moment for the 22-year-old, but a hat-trick in his second home match might top it.
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"It was a proud moment for me and my family," Haaland said after the win. "Happy... amazing feeling to score three, a hat-trick, an even better feeling!"
Given that City scored 99 goals in the Premier League last season - more than any other side - some questioned if City actually needed to go out and buy Haaland. While greater challenges no doubt lie ahead for City, Haaland showed that these are the kind of situations where he can really make a difference.
"These games are why I'm here - to turn things around when there is a difficult time.
"In the end it was about small adjustments. We were almost there sometimes in the first half so it was about getting it done. This is what we do. A good feeling. It's really important to have this kind of mentality and we should get it even more."
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