Is Erling Haaland the best Premier League striker of all time?

History was made on Tuesday 2 December 2025 as Manchester City’s Norwegian superstar, Erling Haaland opened the scoring in their away match against Fulham. Not only was his goal an emphatic strike, but his beautiful first time finish, 12 yards out, was Haaland’s 100th Premier League goal in only 111 games! This extraordinary accomplishment annihilated the previous record held by Alan Shearer (who entered the Premier League 100 club after 124 games), and is another tally added to the growing accolades this sensational striker has already accumulated in his short time in the league.

Haaland arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2022, under Pep Guardiola, for £51 million, which was seen as an absolute steal at the time. His time at previous clubs RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund had already gained Haaland the reputation of a rising talent and instinctive goalscorer with a promising future. But could Haaland live up to expectations in the hardest league in the world?

Any doubts were soon dissipated after his first season, as Haaland wasted no time making his mark and hit the back of the net 52 times, breaking the record for the most goals scored in all competitions by a Premier League player, and the record for the most goals in the Premier League season, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. Haaland’s astonishing performances were crucial to propelling Manchester City to a historic season in which they won the Premier League, the FA Cup and for the first time in the club’s history, the Champions League.

As a result of Haaland’s incredible contribution, he was awarded the Premier League Player of the Season as well as the Premier League Young Player of the Season; again, he made history by being the first player to win both honours in the same season. We must remember how young the Norwegian was when he signed; just 22 years old, landed in a new country, new league, and he completely dominated.

Is it too soon to label Haaland ‘the best of all time’?

Is it too soon to label Haaland ‘the best of all time’? Debates as to where Haaland ranks in terms of all-time Premier League goal scorers have divided fans and players alike. Fellow teammate, Bernardo Silva said after the match on Tuesday that Haaland ‘can be the best player that ever played in the Premier League if he keeps doing what he’s been doing.’ Even with his achievements and ability, Haaland may have a long way to go before he is considered the best.

Compared to his competition, longevity is something Haaland can’t claim to have, with this season being only his fourth in England. Names often thrown into the mix when debating the ‘best striker of all time’ include Shearer, Rooney, Aguero, and Henry. Their legacy is measured by the fact that they have all consistently performed and scored plenty of goals over long periods of time, contributing significantly to their teams’ successes.

In addition to this, football fans have been quick to jump on the idea that Haaland does not look good on the eyes when he plays, meaning that Haaland is not an exciting, entertaining player to watch. Unlike other strikers who were exhilarating to watch, he has often been described as robotic and apart from goalscoring, his critics accuse Haaland of not contributing enough to his team.

He may undoubtedly be the best striker in the league’s history

For some, perhaps it is a bit too early to be calling Haaland the greatest Premier League striker. However, the fact that he is already in the conversation for one of the best of all time in the Premier League shows how remarkable he has been in his relatively short career, so far, in England. If Haaland continues performing to a high level, scoring goals and winning trophies, by the end of his Premier League career, he may undoubtedly be the best striker in the league’s history.