Manchester City: Pep Guardiola says 'no one can compete with' prolific Erling Haaland

Pep Guardiola has labelled Erling Haaland incomparable for his age, after the Manchester City striker continued his destructive start to Premier League life with a hat-trick in Sunday's 6-3 win over Manchester United.

Haaland's latest three-goal haul saw him become the first player in Premier League history to hit a hat-trick in three successive home games – and took his tally for the season to 17 in all competitions.

By one measure, the Norwegian  is currently on course to end the campaign with 70 Premier League goals alone.

City host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and their manager has been singing Haaland's praises prior to that game. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Guardiola said:

"At his age, no one can compete with him. The numbers speak for themselves and inside – in the locker room – and on the pitch, we see things that are not in the stats that make us feel happy to have him here."

Haaland has struck three times in this season's Champions League – including an audaciously-finished winner against former club Borussia Dortmund in City's last group outing.

In 21 Champions League career appearances, the man who you have to think might be an alien has scored 26 goals – at an aptly unearthly average of one every 62 minutes.