LONDON, England (AFP) — Erling Haaland made history as the Manchester City striker became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals in a remarkable 5-4 win against Fulham on Tuesday.

Haaland’s clinical finish in the first half at Craven Cottage took him to his century in just 111 league appearances for City.

He shattered the previous record set by former Newcastle and Blackburn star Alan Shearer, who took 124 matches to reach 100 goals.

After Haaland’s landmark, Phil Foden scored twice to help City race into a 5-1 lead.

But Fulham scored three times in a furious second-half fightback that fell just short when Josh King’s shot was cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol in the final seconds.

Second-placed City moved within two points of leaders Arsenal, who host Brentford in their game in hand on Wednesday.

“It’s incredible, impressive. He was outstanding, today he was unbelievable. He made a fantastic goal. Hopefully, he’s starving hungry to continue with this club to make more and more goals,” City boss Pep Guardiola said of Haaland.

Yet after squandering a two-goal advantage in their last-gasp 3-2 win against Leeds on Saturday, Guardiola was alarmed by the latest meltdown from his leaky defence.

“Of course, I was concerned. But this will help us in future games. Every game is a new team for some players. You have to make a process to start to correct,” he said.

“I’m so old, and the players don’t respect me! They don’t have to treat their manager in that way.

“It only happens in this league. We played a fantastic game. Listen, there were some really positive things in what we have done. In the end, it was a question of character and resilience.”

If City are to overhaul Arsenal and win the seventh English title of the Guardiola era, they will need Haaland to maintain his astonishingly prolific form.

Haaland had failed to score in his previous three games against Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds.

The 25-year-old, signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, ended that mini-drought with the latest milestone in his glittering City career.

Haaland produced a sumptuous finish to put City ahead in the 17th minute, giving him 15 league goals this term and 20 in all competitions.

Jeremy Doku’s precise cut-back arrowed towards Haaland and he timed his run perfectly to unleash a ferocious blast that whistled past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno from 12 yards.

Haaland turned from scorer to provider in the 37th minute as City doubled their lead with another eye-catching effort.

Showing strength and poise in equal measure, Haaland worked space to clip a pin-point pass through to Reijnders and the Dutch midfielder scooped a deft chip over Leno for his first goal since August.

Foden notched City’s third in the 44th minute, lashing a superb strike into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Smith Rowe reduced the deficit in first half stoppage-time, steering a header past Gianluigi Donnarumma from Harry Wilson’s cross.

But Foden, who also scored twice against Leeds, is back in form and the England star appeared to put the result beyond doubt three minutes after the interval.

The 25-year-old guided a composed finish past Leno from an acute angle after Haaland flicked Doku’s pass towards the forward.

City weren’t finished and in the 54th minute Doku’s curler from the edge of the area deflected in for Sander Berge own goal.

But Guardiola’s men completely lost focus after that and Alex Iwobi side-footed home from 18 yards in the 57th minute.

When Samuel Chukwueze blasted his first goal for Fulham in the 72nd minute, City began to sweat and their anxiety mounted six minutes later.

Chukwueze squeezed his shot through a crowd of players after Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner.

City finally battened down the hatches in eight minutes of stoppage time to ensure Haaland’s big night wasn’t eclipsed.

Tuesday’s results

Bournemouth 0, Everton 1

Fulham 4, Man City 5

Newcastle 2, Tottenham 2

Today’s games

Arsenal vs Brentford @ 2:30 pm

Brighton vs Aston Villa @ 2:30 pm

Burnley vs Crystal Palace @ 2:30 pm

Wolverhampton vs Nottingham Forest @ 2:30 pm

Leeds vs Chelsea @ 3:15 pm

Liverpool vs Sunderland @ 3:15 pm