Erling Haaland might have been a bargain even at £100m but to cost Manchester City just north of £50m is a faintly ridiculous price in the definitely ridiculous inflated transfer market. The striker scored a scintillating 19-minute hat-trick that featured the equaliser and goals that sealed victory as the champions came from two behind for a fourth time in their past six competitive games.
The Norwegian’s third was greeted by a jig of jubilation from Pep Guardiola and delirium from a home crowd witnessing Haaland’s first City strikes at the Etihad and crowned a superb fightback initiated when Bernardo Silva led a second-half charge by pulling one back.