By Lori Ewing
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City’s Erling Haaland struck four times as they remained on course to win a fourth successive Premier League title with a 5-1 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Hours after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola’s men responded with a resounding victory that pulled them to within a point of the North Londoners at the top of the standings, but with a game in hand.
Arsenal have 83 points with two fixtures remaining in one of the tightest title races in years, while City have 82, but three games to play.
“Nine (more) points, we will be champions. Seven points, six points, three points, Arsenal will win the Premier League,” Guardiola said. “If we win the games, we’ll be champs, the players know it and we have to do it again and again and again.”
Haaland — who boosted his league scoring lead to 25 with the first four-goal haul of his career — converted from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s late tackle took Josko Gvardiol down in the box.
The 23-year-old Norwegian doubled City’s lead in the 35th when he soared high to head home at the far post from Rodri’s cross.
Haaland converted again from the spot just before halftime after he was clipped from behind by Nelson Semedo in the area. Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for Wolves in the 53rd with the visitors’ only shot on target.
But a minute later, Haaland smothered any hopes of a comeback with his fourth. The goal-scoring machine controlled a diagonal pass in the air from Phil Foden before slicing inside and curling a shot into the far corner.
“Happy for him, exceptional goals, really pleased for him,” Guardiola said.
Substitute Julian Alvarez completed City’s scoring in the 85th minute.
Wolves, whose manager Gary O’Neill was serving a touchline ban, looked nothing like the team that edged City 2-1 earlier in the season. They are 11th in the standings.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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