Erling Haaland's sensational form continued as he bagged a third Premier League hat-trick in just his eighth game as Manchester City ran riot.
This time Manchester United were his victims as the Norwegian took his total for the season to 17 in the derby. Haaland has long proved his appetite for goals, but his performances at the Etihad have still surprised some given how he's taken to England's top flight.
Records seem to be broken on a weekly basis as the Norwegian, now 22, sets his sights on rewriting history. The single-season record, currently held by Mohamed Salah, looks set to be broken at Haaland's current rate of scoring, with City - and their summer signing - looking relentless. Haaland now has 152 club goals in his career - 103 of those coming in the last 100 games - with a further 21 coming for his country.
The age at which Haaland began putting up huge numbers means he is ahead of the curve experienced by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are the benchmark but were slightly later in their careers before they begun scoring with incredible regularity.
Haaland has already drawn comparisons with Messi with Pep Guardiola commenting after his debut: "[Haaland] can be a better player [than Messi is], he can have the will to do it. He likes football, I have never seen a player who is 21 or 22 years old - maybe Messi he was already advanced - but the rest are never finished and always you can improve."
Comparisons to Messi
The Argentine, who has claimed more Ballon d'Ors than anyone in history, hit his straps slightly later than Haaland so as a result is someway off the Norwegian's numbers. Messi came through the ranks at La Masia as a winger, which is where he was initially integrated into the first-team.
Image:
Getty Images)At the same age, Messi had scored 44 times in 112 appearances, albeit in a side that also included the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry. His efforts would help capture LaLiga and Champions League triumphs, which sets him apart from Haaland, whose medal count is yet to take off.
Messi's career would go into overdrive shortly after his 22nd birthday as he would go on to bag 628 goals from his next 666 matches. His decision to spend the majority of his career with Barcelona has meant near enough every club record - and the majority of LaLiga's - now belong to him.
Haaland vs Ronaldo
Similar to Messi, Ronaldo didn't morph into the player we've become accustomed to until his early 20s. Haaland doing so in his late teens gives him a head start that could prove crucial with the numbers when his career comes to an end.
Image:
PA)By the time he was 22 Ronaldo had come second in the Ballon d'Or, losing out to Kaka in 2007, but would win it a year later. The Portuguese star appeared a new player after the 2006 World Cup and produced a stellar year to help United win the title in 2007.
On an individual basis, the No 7 scored his 50th career goal just before his 22nd birthday. Like Messi, Ronaldo was a winger whose goalscoring exploits really took off when he was moved to a more central role. Real Madrid had the Portuguese star at his peak with his total of five European crowns setting him apart from Messi.
