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Erling Haaland may have parted ways with his flowing hair, humorously caught patting his freshly shaved head on Friday. But his knack for finding the net remains very much intact.
The prolific forward bagged a brace against Crystal Palace, propelling Manchester City to a commanding 4–1 win at Selhurst Park. It marked Haaland's opening goals of the new campaign, as the 26-year-old gets off the mark in his bid for a record-equalling third straight Premier League Golden Boot and fourth in five seasons.
23-year-old Rayan Cherki also notched a brace on Friday evening to get his Premier League account up and running for the new season.
Haaland's opener came via a twisting aerial effort, comfortably outjumping American defender Chris Richards to nod home a looping cross from Antoine Semenyo. He then did what he does best for his second of the evening, prowling around the edge of the box before making a sharp run toward goal. Phil Foden slipped him through with a perfectly weighted pass, which the Norwegian drilled past Dean Henderson with his left foot. The 6'5" powerhouse wrapped up the match with two goals from just five attempts and 20 touches.
Friday's contest also extended Haaland's remarkable record against Crystal Palace, having now scored in every single Premier League encounter against the Eagles. A persistent nightmare for the south London club, Haaland has racked up 10 goals across six appearances against them.
His first league clash with Crystal Palace came almost exactly four years ago, on August 27, 2022. He made an unforgettable impression at the Etihad that day, producing a stunning hat-trick comeback to announce himself to the Eagles — a torment that has continued for more than four years. Palace had led 2–0, but Haaland's brilliance helped City claim a 4–2 victory.
Every subsequent meeting with Palace for Haaland has taken place at Selhurst Park. He also scored twice in his most recent visit there back in December 2025, helping the Citizens to a 3–0 win.
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Erling Haaland Hits the Ground Running
The win also represented Haaland's first goals since his impressive World Cup debut.
The No. 9 captured global attention and went massively viral this summer. Haaland not only netted seven goals in six matches, but also guided Norway — a nation absent from the World Cup for nearly three decades — on a historic run to the quarterfinals, eliminating the formidable five-time champions Brazil along the way.
He is clearly delighted to be back to his familiar heroics, having taken a break through the remainder of July and the opening weeks of August.
"It's the start of the season, barely [had] a preseason, and five weeks ago, I was playing in the World Cup," Haaland told Sky Sports after the match. "So [tonight] was a step up, and we'll be back. Just need a few games."
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Sophia Vesely is a writer, reporter and editor for SI FC, with an emphasis on North American coverage. Her experience comes from regional journalism as a former sports reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, Dallas Morning News and Seattle Times. Vesely graduated from Swarthmore College, where she played collegiate soccer as a wingback. She specializes in MLS, NWSL and NCAA soccer.