Premier League: Manchester City go back to top as Haaland breaks league’s goals record

London: Manchester City striker Erling Haaland broke the Premier League scoring record in a single season on Thursday (IST) in his side’s 3-0 win at home to West Ham United, which takes them back to the top of the Premier League.

Haaland scored his 35th league goal of the campaign to beat the record, jointly held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, after a pass from Jack Grealish put his side 2-0 ahead in the 70th minute of the game. City needed to win to go back to the top after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night.

West Ham offered stern resistance in a close first half, but coach David Moyes will have been disappointed at the defenders that allowed a fit-again Nathan Ake to nod City ahead in the 50th minute from a Riyad Mahrez cross, reports Xinhua.

Phil Foden added a third goal for Pep Guardiola’s side with five minutes left to play after his volley from the edge of the area took a big deflection on its way to the back of the net.

Liverpool moved a step closer to ensuring at least a place in next season’s Europa League, with a narrow 1-0 win at home to Fulham. Mohamed Salah’s 39th-minute penalty after a foul on Darwin Nunez separated the two sides and gave Liverpool their fifth consecutive league win.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are now seven points behind fourth-place Manchester United, but five points clear of sixth-place Tottenham.