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Erling Braut Haaland has expressed his delight after scoring a record-breaking hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-3 victory at home against rival Manchester United on Sunday.
The 22-year-old has taken to the English top flight by storm since joining from Borussia Dortmund over the summer, netting 11 goals in just seven league games prior to the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland continued his electric form in front of goal with three more strikes on home soil against the Red Devils, netting City’s second and third goals within three first-half minutes before completing his hat-trick just after the hour mark.
The Norwegian striker has subsequently become the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three successive home matches.
Haaland was not the only City player to take home the match ball, as Phil Foden also scored a hat-trick – his first at senior level – to become the first Manchester-born player to score three goals in a Premier League Manchester derby.
Haaland, who has now scored a remarkable 14 Premier League goals in just eight appearances this season, admitted after the game that he sensed “something special” would happen for him and the reigning champions.
“Yeah, not bad! We scored six goals! What can I say. It’s amazing. To win at home, score six goals, it’s nice,” Haaland told mancity.com.
“You can feel it all the time. You can see the passes we give each other. We always want to go forward and to attack. It’s what I love about the team. In the end, it’s amazing. There is nothing more to say.”
Haaland added: “It’s been good, I felt it a little bit before the game that something special is going to happen and we saw today that some special things happened. It was nice.
“On Friday I felt it in the whole training ground. It’s these games I want to play in. These are the best games where there’s a bit extra.
“Confidence is good, it’s always been good. After we played against Liverpool in the Community Shield it was still good after. I think it was good that match happened, that something happened and [I thought] I have to be a bit more ready.”
Manager Pep Guardiola hailed Haaland’s performance in front of goal, adding: “I say it many times and I will say again, what Erling is doing he did in Norway, Austria and Germany.
“The quality we have alongside him helps him score, but what he is doing I didn’t teach him. He has incredible instincts. It comes from his mum and dad. He was born with that.”
Man City are the only Premier League team who remain unbeaten after eight games, and they still sit second in the table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Guardiola and co will now prepare for Wednesday’s Champions League groups-stage fixture at home against Copenhagen before welcoming Southampton to the Etihad for their next Premier League clash next Saturday.
