Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland can score a double hat-trick for the first time in the Premier League era.
The Norwegian international has already scored four times in his first two outings this campaign but Wright claims that the forward has it in him to achieve a remarkable feat:
“I want to see him score six in a game. He’ll score six in a game if he stays on, especially in this mood he’s in, this form.”
Since the Premier League began in 1992, the highest number of goals scored by one player in a single game is 5. Andy Cole scored 5 goals in a 9-0 win over Ipswich Town in 1995.
2 players have scored double hat-tricks in the English top-flight
Prior to the formation of the Premier League, there were two occasions where a player scored 6 or more goals. The first happened in 1935 when Arsenal’s Ted Drake reached the milestone during a 7-1 win over Aston Villa (he actually scored all seven).
England World Cup winner Geoff Hurst scored 6 during an 8-0 victory against Sunderland in 1968. That is still the last time a player has managed to find the net six times in English football.
Haaland doesn’t get substituted that often
Wright believes the 24-year-old has a good chance of scoring 6 if he stays on for the full 90 minutes. So far this campaign, manager Pep Guardiola has kept him on the pitch until the final whistle in both league fixtures, as well as the Community Shield final.
Haaland also finished most games last season, staying on for 22 of the 29 matches he started in the Premier League. With Julian Alvarez no longer at the Etihad, the Norwegian is likely to get even more minutes over the coming weeks and months. We shall see if he can reach the target set by Wright.
