Erling Haaland’s Manchester City teammates all crowded round to give him a “deserved” guard of honour after yesterday’s Premier League victory.
The Sky Blues once again cemented their place at the top of the Premier League table after an emphatic win over relegation battlers West Ham at the Etihad Stadium last night, slotting three goals into the net in a 3-0 victory, and making it a total of 1,000 Premier League goals scored under current manager Pep Guardiola.
But, as has been the case in a lot of Manchester City matches this season, it’s Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland who grabbed the headlines yet again, and even earned himself a guard of honour from his teammates and staff after the game.
And what exactly did he do to “deserve” this star treatment? Break another record, of course.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 3, 2023
We all know by know that the 22-year-old striker is no stranger to goals, and setting countless new records with the amount of goals he scored – but many fans and pundits are arguing that last night’s achievement is probably Haaland’s most important to date, and one of the most significant in Premier League and football history.
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As he smashed in Man City’s second goal of the night in the 70th minute, that made it Haaland’s 35th Premier League goal – which means he officially broke and set a new record for the most goals scored by one player in a single Premier League season.
He claimed the title from former Premier League all-time greats, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole – who each scored 34 goals back in the mid 90s.
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Erling Haaland given ‘deserved’ guard of honour after breaking Premier League goals record / Credit: Man City (via Twitter)
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, and reflecting on his new record, Haaland said he was “really happy and proud” of his individual achievements.
“It’s a special night and a special moment,” he added.
While he said that scoring the record-breaking goal “was a nice feeling”, just like all his other goals, he did admit that the guard of honour wasn’t the most pleasant experience, explaining: “Winning the game is also really important.
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“But the guard of honour really hurt – they hit me hard on the back.”
“All the team is satisfied for that because he is a unique person, so special, and he deserved the guard of honour because it’s an incredible milestone.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Emily Sergeant -
4th May 2023 
