EPL: Man City beat West Ham, Arsenal stumble against Brighton

Erling Haaland stole the headlines with another hat-trick as Manchester City beat West Ham United 3-1 on Saturday at the London Stadium, to maintain their perfect start in the English Premier League.

The Norwegian striker put his side ahead in the 10th minute with an easy finish before his counterpart, Ruben Dias, levelled the score with an own goal nine minutes later.

In blistering form, Haaland restored City’s lead with a powerful strike at the half-hour mark before completing his hat-trick in the 83rd minute.

Victory means Pep Guardiola’s side maintain an early lead in the league with nine points from three games, while hosts West Ham sit in 14th place with three points.

Haaland’s hat-trick was his second of the season, and his 11th overall for Manchester City, as the 24-year-old continues to dominate since making his big-money move from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund two years ago.

With seven goals from his first three games, the City forward has scored more goals than every other team in the EPL this season.

Speaking during the post-match interview, Guardiola praised Haaland’s unmatched work ethic.

“Erling’s unstoppable, there’s no central defender, not even with a gun, to stop him,” said the City manager.

“He’s playing much better in everything. The details, he stays 20 minutes or half an hour after training sessions.”

Guardiola also expressed his satisfaction with the striker’s offensive and defensive work.

“Always Erling scores goals and it’s what he has to do. We are happy for another hat-trick, the quality of the finishing but he was involved with the game today,” Pep said.

“He didn’t lose one ball and he played unbelievable – not just with the ball but also defensively and offensively. He gave an extra pass.”

With 70 goals in 69 appearances for the Citizens, Haaland’s goal-scoring prowess could propel Guardiola to a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

Online bookmakers are paying +120 outright odds for Manchester City to retain their crown ahead of Arsenal (+230) and Liverpool (+550).

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s perfect league start ended on Saturday following their 1-1 draw with a stubborn Brighton side at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz put the Gunners ahead with a sublime goal in the 38th minute, before a Declan Rice red card turned the game on its head.

Committing a second bookable offense, the England midfielder was sent off in the 49th minute, allowing the visitors to equalize in the 58th minute through Joao Pedro.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Arsenal managed to avoid defeat. However, the draw leaves the Gunners and Brighton two points behind champions Manchester City.

Speaking after the final whistle, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his disappointment with the officiating.

“We were on top of the match, we started the second half really well,” said Arteta.

“In that moment, the referee makes a decision that obviously changes the course of the game for us.”

“We had to adapt to the context, we thought it was very inconsistent,” he added.

“And he made one decision, by the book he can make, but he totally missed to make the second one, and we should have played 10 against 10.”

Nevertheless, Arsenal will be looking to make amends after the international break, where they’ll face rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Leading soccer betting sites are paying -104.17 for Arsenal to beat Spurs (+259) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 15.