Erling Haaland’s (£14.0m) two goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers show why he could be on course for another prolific start in Fantasy Premier League.
The Manchester City star collected the maximum bonus points in the 4-0 win to sit joint-top of the forward standings on 13 points in Gameweek 1.
However, it’s Haaland’s underlying statistics that offer the most encouragement for managers in Fantasy.
His totals of six shots in the box and three big chances – situations where the player is expected to score – are both more than any other player in Gameweek 1.
Put into perspective, only five other players managed more than three shots in the box in the opening round of matches.
Most shots in box, GW1
| Player | Shots | Big chances | Shots in box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Richarlison | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Gordon | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Mbeumo | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Ballard | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Strand Larsen | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Obviously you can't make any assumptions from a single Gameweek but when you delve into Haaland's historical data, it does seem as if he boasts a greater goal threat at the very start of every season.
In both 2023/24 and 2024/25, he had at least four shots in the box in FIVE of the first six Gameweeks.
Haaland's shots in box, GW1-6 last two seasons
| GW | 23/24 shots | 24/25 shots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 6 | 2 | 5 |
Over those seasons as a whole, though, that ratio dropped off markedly. Haaland produced four or more shots in 11 of his 31 appearances in 2024/25, which equates to a 34.5 per cent success rate.
He fared better in 2023/24 with 51.6 per cent, achieving the feat in 16 of 31 outings.
Haaland's matches with four or more shots, last two seasons
| Statistic | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | 31 | 31 |
| Matches with 4+ shots in box | 16 | 11 |
| % matches with 4+ shots in box | 51.6% | 34.5% |
Most importantly for Fantasy managers, Haaland has always been able to turn that goal threat into attacking returns.
Indeed, in all three seasons since joining Man City, he has been the top-scoring player in Fantasy after the opening six Gameweeks of a campaign.
Listen to the experts discussing Haaland
Both Haaland's output and underlying numbers from the Wolves match certainly fall into line with his previous early-season displays, suggesting he can take full advantage of a kind upcoming schedule.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five – with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest – only one of Man City's next five matches score more than three, when they travel to Arsenal in Gameweek 5.
Man City's next five fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Spurs (H) | 3 |
| 3 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 4 | Man Utd (H) | 3 |
| 5 | Arsenal (A) | 4 |
| 6 | Burnley (H) | 2 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
Home encounters with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Burnley, allied with a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion, gives Haaland the opportunity to make another fast start in Fantasy.