Erling Haaland sets the Premier League standard in the air as Manchester City face Coventry

Erling Haaland continued to underline his dominance as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards by scoring a headed goal to put Manchester City ahead against Coventry City after 26 minutes at Etihad Stadium.

The strike, which came in the third round of the competition, added to Haaland’s remarkable record in the air since he joined Manchester City for the 2022-23 season. Statistics published by Squawka show that the Norway international has scored more headed goals in the Premier League during that period than any other player.

Haaland leads the chart with 20 headed goals, putting him four clear of Ollie Watkins, who is second with 16. Watkins, formerly of Aston Villa, moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal this summer.

Chris Wood is third on the list with 13 headed goals, while Casemiro and Virgil van Dijk share fourth place with 11 each.

Squawka’s ranking of the Premier League’s leading scorers with headed goals since 2022-23 reads:

– 20 – Erling Haaland – 16 – Ollie Watkins – 13 – Chris Wood – 11 – Casemiro – 11 – Virgil van Dijk

Haaland’s goal against Coventry came after he had already scored in each of Manchester City’s opening two league matches this season. He found the net against Bournemouth in the first game and scored again against Crystal Palace in the second.

The finish against Coventry was therefore his third goal of the campaign, following a strong start to his latest Premier League season. It also reinforced a feature of his game that has become a defining part of his time at Manchester City: his ability to convert opportunities with his head as well as with either foot.

Manchester City were leading Coventry City 1-0 when the statistics were released, with Haaland’s early contribution giving the home side the advantage at Etihad Stadium.

The figures place Haaland significantly ahead of the other players included in Squawka’s comparison. Watkins’ move to Al Hilal means the current Premier League chart features a striker from the Saudi Pro League in second place, while Wood, Casemiro and Van Dijk complete the leading group behind Haaland.

The Manchester City forward’s latest effort also maintained his scoring sequence at the start of the season. After finding the net once against Bournemouth and once against Crystal Palace, he added another goal in the third-round meeting with Coventry, continuing to set the early pace among the division’s leading forwards.