Man City downed Nottingham Forest 6-0 on Wednesday
(Picture: Manchester City FC via Getty Ima)Pep Guardiola insisted the team comes first for Erling Haaland after another individual record was broken by the imperious Manchester City striker.
A 6-0 win over Nottingham Forest saw the Norwegian hit his second hat-trick in a row, making him the first Premier League player to hit nine goals in his first five games.
After the match, Guardiola outlined his delight with Haaland and emphasised his desire to play well for the team rather than for personal accolades.
“I know he's happy scoring goals, but I think what he wants is to win,” he told BT Sport.
“The records are okay, but I'm pretty sure he would not like it if we did not win.
“He is a special talent. He has an incredible sense of goal, his first touch [of the game] is a goal. That's Erling. He smells the box like no one else and his finishing is so good. His work ethic is so great, we are delighted the way he has come in.”
Now well clear in the Premier League Golden Boot stakes, Haaland paid tribute to Guardiola’s teachings and his teammates for creating his chances.
He said: “I try to listen as much as I can to Pep and to play with the boys because they’re amazing footballers. Without them I would not be able to score goals.
“So it’s about finding chemistry, playing together and listening to Pep.”
