Erling Haaland secured his third Premier League Golden Boot in four seasons with Manchester City despite missing the club’s final game of the season on Sunday.
Haaland was absent from the City squad during a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, a match that also marked the end of Pep Guardiola’s trophy-filled 10-year reign as Manchester City manager.
The Norwegian striker finished the season with 27 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.
However, his impressive goal tally was not enough to help City retain the league title as Arsenal ended a 22-year wait to become Premier League champions.
Haaland’s latest Golden Boot victory places him alongside Alan Shearer and Harry Kane as three-time winners of the award.
He now trails only Mohamed Salah and Thierry Henry, who remain the only players to win the Premier League Golden Boot four times.
Igor Thiago of Brentford finished second in the scoring chart with 22 goals.
His performances during the season also earned him a place in Brazil’s squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Haaland started the campaign in outstanding form, scoring 19 goals in his first 17 Premier League matches.
His influence on Manchester City’s title challenge became even more evident during a difficult period around the turn of the year.
The 25-year-old scored only once in seven league games during that stretch, with City managing just two wins.
Haaland later returned to top form during the closing stages of the season.
He scored the winning goal against Liverpool and also found the net against Arsenal in a crucial title-deciding clash last month.
Despite those important goals, dropped points against Everton and Bournemouth ultimately allowed Arsenal to secure the Premier League title for the first time since 2004.
