Erling Braut Haaland scored twice on his Premier League debut to help reigning champions Manchester City secure a 2-0 victory away at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.
It took the Norwegian summer signing just 35 minutes to open his account for the Citizens, with the 22-year-old converting from the penalty spot after being brought down inside the area by substitute goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Haaland then added a second just after the hour mark, calmly slotting the ball beyond Areola after receiving a perfectly weighted through-ball from Kevin De Bruyne.
City's new No.9 was unable to net a hat-trick as he was brought off in the 78th minute, with fellow new recruit Julian Alvarez coming on as his replacement to make his Premier League debut.
Nevertheless, Haaland has now contributed to 10 goals (six goals and four assists) in his last four games on the opening weekend of a new league season, and his brace for City has also continued his impressive record of scoring on his debut across different competitions.
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Haaland scored on his senior debut for Molde back in 2017 in a 3-2 Norwegian Cup win against Volda TI, before signing for Red Bull Salzburg and netting a hat-trick on his Champions League debut in an emphatic 6-2 victory over Genk in 2019.
The 6ft 5in striker also scored on his Bundesliga debut, DFB-Pokal debut and DFL-Supercup debut with German outfit Borussia Dortmund, including a hat-trick as a substitute in the former competition against Augsburg in January 2020.
Haaland has now become the first player to score a brace on his Premier League debut for Man City since club legend Sergio Aguero back in 2011.
Speaking in his post-match interview, Haaland expressed his pride after scoring twice in front of his family at the London Stadium, including his father and former City midfielder Alfe-Inge Haaland.
"It was a proud moment for me and my family, yeah I'm happy," Haaland told mancity.com. "It was hard, the first game is of course hard. It was hard but it was good to make my debut.
"We have to build on what we did today. I feel good, there's good people around me helping me a lot, I'm happy, I'm smiling and I'm training good. It's important to win these types of games. It's an important start and we have to build on it."
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Manager Pep Guardiola has hailed Haaland's debut performance and was particularly impressed to hear his new £51m man expressing the hunger he believes all players have at the highest level.
"He was really calm, he trained really well but the way he took the ball for the penalty I said 'I like it'," Guardiola told reporters via Man City's official website.
"[He is] so direct and I think if someone is taking the ball, he would punch them in the face even though they are his mates! And that is a pretty good sign. To be so confident, I like it."
"I was fortunate as manager to be with [Lionel] Messi and when he scored two, he wanted three, and when scored three he wants four.
"The top goalscorers are never satisfied, they are always hungry and starving and want more."
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Guardiola has described Haaland as a new "weapon" at his disposal and believes his fellow attackers now have a focal point to aim for in the final third, which they have lacked in previous seasons while operating with a false nine.
"Erling scoring the two goals, it's important for him and the team and for us and it's another weapon we have now. But at the same time he's not going to solve all our problems, he's going to add something to us as a team. That's what we are looking for," the Spaniard added.
"Today, the two goals they were balls in front the centre of defence and we had the feeling we could find him more.
"In the past we didn't have a reference like him and now have it again but at the same time the guys have to put the ball there, especially in transitions."
Haaland will be hoping to add to his tally when the Citizens welcome newly-promoted Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium for their first home game of the 2022-23 campaign next Saturday.
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