Haaland high, hot in 2023

2023 was a massive year for Manchester City. After completing the historic Treble in the 2022-23 season, the Citizens won the Club World Cup last week which officially made them the best club in the world. While it was a proper team effort from Pep Guardiola's men, one man stood out, breaking all goal-scoring records possible. Erling Braut Haaland went on to enjoy a stunning inaugural campaign at the Etihad with his goals proving pivotal in the club's historic campaign. 

Arguably, no player has made a bigger instant impact on the Premier League with Haaland breaking a host of records along the way to helping City claim a third successive league title along with securing the FA Cup and Champions League.  

His record-breaking feats include becoming the youngest player to reach the 30, 35 and 40-goal milestones in the Champions League and surpassing the 50-goal mark in the Premier League in record time.

Haaland's total of 52 goals in a season was the most in all competitions by a player at a Premier League club and the most by any City player in their 129-year history.  

The 23-year-old also set a new Premier League record by registering 36 goals, claiming six hat-tricks along the way. He was also the top scorer in the Champions League, scoring 12 goals as City won the prized European trophy for the first time in their history.  

Erling has maintained that prolific scoring rate across the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, so far having registered 19 goals from 22 appearances, along the way helping City claim the 2023 Uefa Super Cup back in August. 

All these records brought him the prestigious 2023 BBC World Sport Star of the Year award leaving behind some of the iconic athletes like  American gymnast Simone Biles, Spain and Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati, tennis legend Novak Djokovic, South Africa's rugby union captain Siya Kolasi and Formula One world champion Max Verstappen. 

Haaland was also awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy at the Ballon d'Or awards held in Paris in late October, which is awarded to the top striker of the past European season for club and country. 

Despite recent injury setbacks, Haaland remains a potent force in his team's attacking lineup. He is also the leading goalscorer of the ongoing Premier League campaign with 14 goals (as of 27 December).

The Norwegian has scored 50 goals overall in 2023 so far and is currently three goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo's tally of 53. But he still potentially has two Premier League games to play and leapfrog the Portuguese striker.