When the dust settled on another dramatic transfer window, a handful of forwards have already started making noise but Erling Haaland has done more than make noise. He’s set a new, brutal benchmark that the rest are still chasing.
Short bursts and sharp impressions
Liverpool’s late scramble for Alexander Isak left space for Hugo Ekitike to stake an early claim.
Thrust into action, Ekitike answered with two goals in his first three appearances, a flash of finishing that suggested Liverpool might not miss a beat despite the drawn-out transfer saga.
Chelsea’s João Pedro arrived with a tournament pedigree, running hot at the FIFA Club World Cup where he netted three times, including a finish against Paris Saint-Germain in the final, before adding two more in the early league fixtures.
Even a subsequent eight-game drought couldn’t erase the memory of his Tottenham winner that snapped that run and reminded everyone of his threat.
Newcastle’s surprise and resilience
Nick Woltemade has quietly become one of the summer’s smarter gambles.
The 23-year-old has already scored six in 14 for Newcastle and adapted to the Premier League quicker than many expected, vindicating the club’s decision after longer pursuit lists that included Ekitike and Sesko.
His rise is made more valuable by Yoane Wissa’s misfortune: Newcastle paid £55m to bring the forward in from Brentford, only for a knee injury days after the move to delay his debut, making Woltemade’s contribution a timely silver lining.
Igor Thiago’s scorching form
At Brentford, Igor Thiago deserves a pointed nod. Not a fresh arrival this summer but a July 2024 signing who’s battled injury, Thiago has still ripped into form — eight goals in 11 appearances — a strike rate that underlines how dangerous he can be when fit and firing.
Haaland: the yardstick for excellence
Then there’s Haaland relentless, remorseless, and merciless. Across 11 Premier League matches and 948 minutes, he has scored 14 goals; stretch that to all competitions and he’s on 28 in 18 for Manchester City and Norway. Only Tottenham and Aston Villa have managed to keep him off the scoresheet in that run.
That kind of output doesn’t just win matches, it changes a title race. Haaland’s carnage up front is the single clearest reason City remain favourites for silverware, and it raises the question every rival striker now faces: can you match that standard?
Catching up or closing the gap
There are sparks from Ekitike, João Pedro, Woltemade and Thiago flashes that promise growth and big moments but none have yet approached Haaland’s relentlessness.
For the Premier League’s newest forwards, the task is simple and brutal: convert potential into the kind of sustained scoring that rewrites tables and headlines. The window’s marquee signings created the drama; Haaland has written the punchline, and the chase to close that gap is the story to watch as the season unfolds.
