“Normally, we don’t meet these kinds of teams,” Erling Haaland reflected on the third of his three goals on Saturday. “Normally, teams drop more, but West Ham needed a goal and the line was higher and I had space to go in behind.”

The thing is, it was Haaland who afforded Manchester City that extra option by scoring the two goals that obliged West Ham to change their approach in the first place.

For the first of them, he struck after City won the ball back high up the pitch, exposing a gaping hole as West Ham tried to play out from the back. “With space behind, he’s unstoppable,” said City manager Pep Guardiola. “There’s no central defender, not even with a gun… it’s impossible to stop him. He’s so fast, so powerful.”

For the second, City worked their way up the pitch patiently, as they usually have to do, and Haaland smashed in an emphatic finish — a half-chance, really — after a succession of intricate passes.

The moral of the story is that no matter what you try to do, when Haaland is at his very best — and his team-mates can find him — you are going to come unstuck; he added that third on the break after, as he said, West Ham pushed up looking for an equaliser.

Last weekend, after a varied hat-trick against Ipswich (a penalty, a ball in behind and a shot from outside the box), one of his City team-mates wrote on his match ball that he was getting sick of signing them for him. This time, one simply wrote, jokingly, ‘F*** off’.

Haaland has 11 hat-tricks for City now in barely two years since joining them and there will probably be more soon.

“He’s playing much better,” Guardiola said at the London Stadium, leaving no room for doubt. “In everything.”

Guardiola had been asked if Haaland’s goals looked a bit “crisper” than the ones he scored last season and on another day, he might have pointed out how many the Norwegian actually did score last season — 38 in 45 appearances in all competitions (he won the Premier League Golden Boot, with 27, as he did in his 2022-23 debut year when he got 36) — but on this occasion, the City manager was happy to meet the truth head-on.

During the summer, Guardiola left breadcrumbs about some observations, possibly even some frustrations, about Haaland’s contributions that he did not feel the need to share during last season. And in the past two weeks, he has decided to open up even more.

“After the (2022-23) treble, he struggled to handle it, and maybe not too many holidays,” Guardiola said last weekend. “I remember at the beginning he said, ‘Still I’m tired, still I am a little bit drained’.”

And after subtly suggesting during the club’s pre-season tour in the United States that he wanted more from Haaland, he took the opportunity to explain exactly what that was. Typically, it was after Haaland had scored that hat-trick against Ipswich.

“We talked a little bit in the States. I didn’t like some things and he changed his mind,” Guardiola teased and when later asked what he did not like, he again chose the open and honest route.

“I like when he runs a lot. I like when he presses like an animal. I like it. It helps to score a goal. When you are connected defensively, you are connected offensively. When you are disconnected defensively and you run and the ball surprises you, you are not precise.

“This mix; to know exactly what to do and help us. His body language… imagine a central defender has the ball and he makes a sprint with this body and legs moving. It’s scary. And it helps us, for the people in the middle and back to support him, and we are more effective in our high pressing.

Guardiola congratulates Haaland after full-time at the London Stadium (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

“We need him. This is not negotiable. If you (Haaland) don’t score a goal, it’s fine, but you need to do it (the pressing). Especially when we link up with him, he has to control the ball better, but we are working with him on it. Hopefully he can do it.”

As much as the goals, all of that stuff was evident on Saturday evening. Haaland set up Rico Lewis for what should have been City’s third with a fine through ball and on one occasion raced back to prevent a West Ham counter-attack from a corner.

It was his best all-round performance in what feels like forever and if that feels harsh on somebody who, after all, still scored loads of goals last season, it always felt at the time like everything seemed that little bit harder in his second year of English football. With the benefit of hindsight, it certainly feels that way now.

“There are details,” Guardiola continued after the game. “He stays 20 minutes or half an hour after training sessions to work on finishing, close control, short passes. Last season, not even once was he there (doing that work) because he didn’t feel good; tired, niggles, most of the season.”

Haaland admitted after his goal in the opening league game against Chelsea two weeks ago that he could “stand and watch” while his team-mates bring the ball up the pitch, and that is OK because by just being there, he can take his markers into areas where they cannot get close to City’s other threats.

Issues can arise when City cannot find him for that one chance or, when they do, he misses it anyway, which is what happened quite a lot last season, certainly compared to his first one.

But the message from Guardiola is that City will keep finding him and Haaland looks ready to hold up his end of the bargain.

“What we need is the team to play better and better to give him more balls in the final third, and with Rico, Kevin (De Bruyne), (Ilkay) Gundogan, Bernardo (Silva), (James) McAtee, we’re going to create those situations because they’re really good in small spaces,” said the City manager.

Haaland has scored seven goals in his three games this season (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Interestingly, Guardiola has been trying to leverage another way of getting Haaland some relatively simple finishes: crosses to the back post. He started Savinho and Jeremy Doku on their strongest sides against Chelsea, with the aim of getting them to the byline to stand up the ball for Haaland to nod in, but the players took it upon themselves to switch sides after 15 minutes that day and they looked better for it.

In the opening exchanges at West Ham, City were clearly looking for those stood-up crosses, too, but when one found the intended target, Haaland headed it over the crossbar. But even the low crosses were often cut out.

“In small spaces, which happens quite often against us, we need players with good crosses, but we are still not so clever,” Guardiola continued. “For example, Jeremy arrived in the final third and we are not precise enough, like Jack (Grealish) sometimes, too, but in small spaces, when we improve in that department, he will have more chances and we know how clinical he is. Everybody knows it.”

Even so, the incredible statistics that seemed to accompany every Haaland performance in his debut season have suddenly come flooding back.

His eight Premier League hat-tricks have come in 69 games — it took Thierry Henry 258 matches to do the same.

Haaland has now scored more than once in 26 per cent of his league games for City — 10 doubles and those eight hat-tricks — which is the highest ratio of any player.

He began his Premier League career here in this stadium two years and three weeks ago with a pair against West Ham on his league debut, and with the hat-trick against Ipswich last weekend, he kept up his record of scoring against every team he has faced in the competition.

Going back where it all started and bagging another hat-trick: it looks like he is taking things up another level.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: West Ham 1 Manchester City 3 – Another Haaland hat-trick but where is Walker?

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

It was the beginning of new eras for both USC and LSU, but only one of them got off to an ideal start.

Miller Moss, only replacing No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, had ice in his veins, driving down the field late to help the 23rd-ranked Trojans get a 27-20 victory over No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas on Sunday night.

With the game tied at 20 with 1:47 left and a timeout, it was all USC needed. Moss completed his first five passes on the drive, and with 18 seconds left, Kyron Hudson made his second one-handed catch of the night to put the Trojans in field goal range. 

After the reception, LSU’s Jardin Gilbert was called for targeting, putting the Trojans at the LSU 13. Woody Marks then ran it in for his second score of the night, giving USC a 27-20 lead over LSU with eight seconds left. Garrett Nussmeier’s first pass for a miracle drive was picked off, all but giving USC the victory.

The aforementioned Hudson had what might already be the catch of the year earlier in the game back in the second quarter, and the Trojans found the end zone two plays later with a Marks score to go up, 7-0.

Southern California Trojans running back Woody Marks (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium.  (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)

LSU PLAYER CALLED FOR UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT AFTER APPEARING TO PRETEND TO SHOOT GUN AFTER TOUCHDOWN

However, LSU scored on a Kyren Lacy touchdown on the ensuing drive. After the score, though, he appeared to pretend to shoot a gun, resulting in a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff. USC took advantage, but ultimately had to settle for a field goal. LSU matched it, and USC missed a field goal just before the half ended to head into the locker room tied at 10.

Both teams exchanged punts to begin the second half, but USC found the middle of the uprights midway through the third. LSU, though, responded with a seven-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that ended in Nussmeier’s second touchdown, this time to Aaron Anderson.

Midway through the fourth, USC found themselves at LSU’s 36-yard line and opted to go for it on 4th and 9, but Moss’ pass fell incomplete. But after forcing a three-and-out, the Trojans needed just three plays to take the lead, as Moss found Ja’Kobi Lane for an impressive, over-the-shoulder, touchdown grab to put USC up, 20-17, with 5:44 to go. LSU, though, kicked a game-tying field goal on their next drive. But, it clearly was not enough.

Moss completed 27 of his 36 passes for a career-high 378 yards, while Marks ran for 68 yards on his 16 carries, two of which resulted in touchdowns. 

Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws a pass against the LSU Tigers during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)

In replacing reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, who went right after Williams in the NFL Draft, Nussmeier impressed by going 29-for-38 for 304 yards through the air – Lacy led all receivers with seven receptions for 94 yards.

USC figures to climb up a decent amount in the rankings, and they will head home on Saturday to host Utah State. It will be interesting to see where LSU winds up, though, as they host Nicholls next weekend.

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Fatigue was setting in. Faith, ever fragile, was fading. USC’s revamped defense held tough. Its new starting quarterback looked comfortable. But USC’s grasp on its season opener had been slipping away since halftime. One drive, done in by a botched trick play. Another swallowed by a fourth-down swat.

Still, Miller Moss remained undeterred. More than nine months had passed since the quarterback’s memorable Holiday Bowl debut, long enough to wonder if his six-score performance was merely a bowl-season mirage. But at no point since, nor in any moment Sunday in his second start, did Moss waver. Not even as Louisiana State defenders barreled toward him on third down in the fourth quarter, forcing him to fling a prayer into the corner of the end zone.

That prayer would find its answer, along with a few others Sunday, landing in the hands of Ja’Kobi Lane for a touchdown that turned the tide USC. Poise turned to jubilation for Moss, as he pumped his fists, roaring to the highest reaches of Allegiant Stadium, his gutsy performance helping secure No. 23 USC‘s season-opening 27-20 victory over No. 13 LSU.

For Lincoln Riley, it was proof the changes he made have put USC closer to the College Football Playoff.

“We know what we’ve been building,” Riley said. “I know we’re making progress.”

USC still needed more help to secure the win after Moss’ dramatic touchdown pass to Lane. Its defense held on against LSU deep in its territory, forcing a game-tying field goal, and Moss maneuvered the Trojans down the field, completing five of six passes, before Woody Marks burst through a crease for his second touchdown run.

After an offseason of uncertainty and unanswered questions, Sunday made for a resounding response against the Tigers, the first time in his three regular seasons at USC that Riley beat a team ranked higher than his own.

He had new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to thank, in part, for that, as USC’s defense held an opposing offense to 20 or fewer points for the first time since last September. The Trojans still gave up 421 yards, but LSU averaged 6.6 yards per play, a major improvement from much of last season.

USC’s tackling, a sore spot for the better part of a decade, was night-and-day different. The run defense, which was regularly run over last season, held LSU to 117 yards on the ground, much of which came on four plays.

“This new defensive identity is way different,” USC defensive end Braylan Shelby said. “We knew what we had. We knew what we had to do. And we just went out there and did it.”

Moss took full advantage of those stops when he got them, completing 27 of 36 passes for 378 yards and a touchdown. Where LSU was conservative with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Moss let it rip early and often, completing 12 passes of 20 yards or more.

But it was his poise late that was especially eye-opening. Twice on USC’s clinching drive, Moss snuck a bullet pass between two defenders. Earlier in the game, he threw into a crowd of LSU defenders to find wideout Kyron Hudson for a leaping, one-handed grab.

“I got a lot of belief in him,” Riley said. “He’s a tough competitor, man. That’s what he’s proven.”

USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch avoids a tackle attempt by LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. after making a catch in the first half.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Nussmeier seemed well on his way to proving himself Sunday, too, as he moved the Tigers methodically down the field early. Getting rid of the ball quickly, he initially neutralized USC’s pass rush with a barrage of short and intermediate passes, extending four drives in the first half to eight plays or longer.

But after a 13-play LSU drive to open the game, USC’s defense came up with a critical stop on fourth down, inside its own 3-yard line. Lynn dialed up a inside linebacker blitz, and Mason Cobb delivered, forcing an errant throw to end the drive.

The moment loomed large, as neither team led by more than a touchdown the rest of the evening.

USC managed to punch it in just once in the first half, after two drives were stopped deep in the red zone. The first, jump-started by an electric return from Zachariah Branch, stalled at the five-yard line and resulted in a field goal. The second, in the final seconds of the first half, wasn’t so fortunate, as new kicker Michael Lantz missed an easy 29-yard field goal.

It was exactly the sort of setback that might have sent USC spiraling in the past. Not Sunday.

“Our identity really showed through,” Moss said.

Even after LSU mounted a third-quarter touchdown drive, USC’s defense regrouped and clamped down, holding LSU to just 16 yards duringits next two drives.

“There’s a vibe and a confidence about that group right now, and we’re just only going to get better,” Riley said. “It was cool to see in that moment, in that arena, us believing it as much as we did.”

And if Sunday is any indication, belief won’t be limited to USC’s locker room for long.