Erling Haaland carved his name deeper into Premier League history on Tuesday night, becoming the fastest player ever to reach 100 goals in just 111 appearances, as Manchester City edged Fulham 5-4 in a chaotic nine-goal spectacle at Craven Cottage.

The Norwegian striker opened the scoring in the 17th minute, converting Jeremy Doku’s cross to surpass Alan Shearer’s long-standing record of 124 games. Haaland, who had struck the post earlier in a one-on-one, went on to provide two assists—setting up Phil Foden’s quickfire brace before halftime and flicking a back-heel for Tijjani Reijnders’ strike. An own goal from Sander Berge made it 5-1 by the 54th minute, with City seemingly cruising as away fans chanted “how many?”

But Fulham, under Marco Silva, mounted a stunning fightback. Emile Smith Rowe’s diving header just before the break sparked belief, and Samuel Chukwueze’s brace alongside Alex Iwobi’s composed finish in a blistering 20-minute spell dragged the hosts back to within one goal. The home crowd roared as City’s defense faltered, and only Doku’s late clearance preserved the points. Relief, rather than celebration, greeted the final whistle.

Pep Guardiola admitted his side’s collapse was “impossible to enjoy,” noting complacency after the break. He quipped to reporters: “You were probably writing ‘City crush Fulham’ at 5-1—now it’s ‘City survive scare.’ Enjoy the chaos.” Haaland, pragmatic as ever, downplayed his milestone: “I try to help the team scoring goals—that’s my job. Every game is different; we lost to Newcastle and Leverkusen, but now two wins in a row. Focus on what’s ahead.”

For Fulham, the near-miracle comeback showcased attacking flair but highlighted defensive vulnerabilities. Silva praised his players’ spirit, saying: “We showed character to score three in that spell, but we need to learn from the early concessions.”

The result keeps City’s title defense alive, leaving them two points behind leaders Arsenal with 28 points from 14 games.