With a title race dominating every thought few picked up on a fascinating duel that took place at the Etihad last Saturday teatime.

In the blue corner, boasting 25 Premier League goals in 2025/26, was Erling Haaland, generally regarded the most clinical hit-man in world football.

Leading the line for the opposition meanwhile was Brentford’s Igor Thiago, the only other player to surpass the fabled 20-goal benchmark this term in the English top-flight.

With just three goals separating them, and this campaign’s finish line clearly in sight, the game therefore was a shoot-out to help determine the destination of this season’s Golden Boot award.

To this end, Haaland increased his lead to four with an unusually taken, improvised backheel but Thiago also had his chances, having a well-executed shot saved in the second half, before striking the crossbar with a late header. It should be noted that the Brazilian has accrued a superior shot accuracy to Haaland – 53% to 47% - and has achieved his tally from 43 fewer shots.

It has been an outstanding season for the 24-year-old who was duly rewarded for his prolificacy with a first international call-up in March.

For Haaland however it’s been business as usual, outscoring his peers as Manchester City challenge for a ninth Premier League title. In the league alone he was converted every 82 minutes this season.

Given the cushion that he has over Thiago – and crucially too, City have one more game than the Bees left to play – the ‘Striking Viking’ has to be strongly fancied to secure another Golden Boot come late May, an award he has previously claimed on two occasions.

In his debut campaign for the Blues, Haaland fired a staggering 36 goals, a Premier League record no less. He followed that up with a more conventional – but no less impressive - 27 goals a year later.

Should the Norwegian maintain his lead this time out he will become one of only five players to have won three or more Golden Boots in England, the others being Mo Salah, Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Alan Shearer. It will depart him from a cluster of feared two-time winners that includes Didier Drogba and Michael Owen.

Furthermore, with a contract that doesn’t expire until 2034, he will surely be dead-set on one day attaining the ultimate honour, that of the sole recipient of a quintet of golden boots.

He is a matter of weeks away from fulfilling 60% of that target.