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London. — Erling Haaland announced his arrival in English football with two debut goals, 2-0 win over West Ham, his trademark Zen pose and what amounted to a warning to Manchester City’s rivals. Not only are City’s opponents going to get sick of the sight of him meditating on the pitch in celebration, one senses they are going to struggle to stop Kevin De Bruyne teeing him up time and time again this season.

We wondered what this City side might look like with an out-and-out goalscorer at the top of it and Sunday provided a glimpse of what could follow now Pep Guardiola has replaced his false number nines with a real one.

Haaland’s father Alfie was in the London Stadium stands to see his son’s brilliant City debut in which he could have scored a hat-trick against West Ham United.

But the likelihood is there will be plenty of match balls to follow, as Haaland gave notice of just how clinical he can be with a penalty, which he won, and a brilliant second goal, created by De Bruyne. Haaland’s biggest impact before his first goal had been felt by West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and acted as a prelude to his penalty.

Fabianksi felt the force of Haaland’s outstretched boot as he reacted quickly to get to the ball ahead of the Norwegian in the 22nd minute. The goalkeeper required treatment and six minutes later had to be replaced by one of West Ham’s two substitute goalkeepers, Alphonse Areola.

Areola had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when he was faced with Haaland running at him and the goal. Joao Cancelo, possibly the first left-back to wear the number seven shirt and who played more like a midfielder, passed the ball into Ilkay Gundogan, who turned and set Haaland away. The former Borussia Dortmund star easily got to the ball ahead of Areola and touched it past him before being brought down. There was no question who was going to take the penalty, as Haaland picked up the ball and sent it into the bottom corner of the net. As Haaland sat on the London Stadium pitch in a sense of celebratory Zen, City’s delirious supporters at the other end of the ground were anything but calm. — Telegraph.