Erling Haaland netted four times to guide Manchester City to a 5-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in Premier League action on Saturday evening.
Newly-crowned Football Writers Player of the Year Phil Foden accompanied by Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic were restored by the host following the win over Nottingham Forest.
Haaland needed no time but the opening ten minutes to get going and tucked in from the spot to make it 1-0 as Rayan Ait-Nouri had upended Josko Gvardiol to concede the penalty.
The Citizens continued to control despite some fight from the visitors, whose offensive compartment in Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha battled to combine.
Haaland came to the fore once more and extended the lead when he nodded in the far corner five minutes ahead of the interval after meeting a floating cross.
It didn’t end there as seconds to the break – the Norwegian worked a spot-kick with Ait-Nouri involved again and got up to make it three and completed a first half treble of strikes.
Wolves were keen to revive matters following the interval and had Mario Lemina make way for Jeanricner Bellegarde to come on.
The latter indeed energised their resolve over five minutes past the break and actually set-up Korean Hee-chan for the easiest of finishes after a ball in the area.
Haaland continued to rule the roast for his and the team’s fourth a minute later when he brought in Foden’s switch of play and applied a few steps to curl in.
With the visitors struggling to cope, Kovacic nearly made it five through a snap shot following a loose clearance but it was comfortably courted by Jose Sa.
Substitute Julian Alvarez applied an instant impact five minutes to the break - having replaced Haaland and got in on the near post to find the bottom-corner.
The Citizens were comprehensive victors and remained second on the table and in touching distance with the leaders Arsenal.
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