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What could stop Haaland breaking Shearer’s Premier League goal record?

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What could stop Haaland breaking Shearer’s Premier League goal record?


Erling Haaland has become the fastest-ever player to score 100 Premier League goals, hitting that mark in his 111th appearance for Manchester City against Fulham earlier this month.

In just under 3½ seasons at the Etihad, the 25-year-old has already climbed to 34th position in the Premier League’s all-time scoring charts — Cristiano Ronaldo sits in 33rd on 103 goals — and it seems inevitable that he will join Wayne Rooney (208), Harry Kane (213) and Alan Shearer (260) in the 200-club in record time.

Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United forward Shearer remains way out in front as the Premier League’s all-time top scorer — the ex-England captain’s overall top-flight tally is 283 goals due to 23 scored for Southampton before the Premier League began in 1992-93 — but even that record now appears to be in Haaland’s sights. The striker even admitted after reaching his century: “I know about it. But I don’t think too much about it.”

But can the Norway forward, who is contracted to City until the end of the 2033-34 season, really overhaul Shearer at the top of the tree?

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At his current pace, Haaland would have to score 25 goals a season for the next six seasons to come close to breaking Shearer’s record. Even if he takes another 8½ seasons — the remaining years on his contract — Haaland would still need to be averaging around 18 league goals a season.

For a striker of Haaland’s incredible consistency, the 260-goal target seems well within reach. Still, there are five key obstacles that he must overcome if he is to overtake Shearer as the greatest goal scorer in Premier League history.


Injuries

No player is immune to injury, and the threat of a long-term layoff due to a serious injury is the nightmare scenario for every player.

The truly elite players, such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, and Mohamed Salah, have all enjoyed relatively injury-free careers. To date, Haaland’s longest layoff was a 54-day foot injury absence during the 2023-24 season, which saw him miss 11 City games in all competitions.

But the top three in the Premier League goal-scorers list have all seen their overall tallies impacted by lengthy injury problems.

Both Rooney and Kane missed large chunks of action, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively due to a variety of injuries — Rooney was twice laid off with a metatarsal injury while Kane had a series of ankle layoffs — while Shearer missed almost two full seasons with serious injuries at Blackburn and Newcastle.

A cruciate ligament injury at Blackburn when he was just 22 years old and damaged ankle ligaments at Newcastle five years later, sidelined Shearer for a total of 431 days when he was in his prime. Shearer has since said that the ankle injury changed his game forever and “cost me half-a-yard of pace.”

Those injuries potentially cost Shearer between 30 to 50 Premier League goals, so a similar setback for Haaland could knock him off course in his bid to topple Shearer, both in terms of time out of the game and the impact it may have on his physical ability.

Form

Every striker endures a goal drought during their career and most battle to overcome them each season.

Haaland, by contrast, has displayed incredible consistency ever since scoring the first goal of his career as an 18-year-old for Norwegian team Molde in July 2018, and his longest run without a Premier League goal for City extends to just four games between December and January during the 2023-24 season.

In fact, that run was two games either side of the seven-week layoff with a foot injury that remains his longest absence, so when he has been fit and firing, Haaland’s longest Premier League drought has been several three-game periods.

If he can maintain that consistency, Haaland will surely overhaul Shearer within the next five to six seasons, especially with him still being in the early peak years of his career.

But form can evaporate, even for the best strikers, and how Haaland handles the inevitability of a longer loss of form than he has previously suffered will be a key pointer as to when, or if, he breaks Shearer’s record.

The Guardiola factor

Manchester City’s success over the past decade has coincided with Pep Guardiola’s reign as manager — he arrived at the Etihad in July 2016 — and his presence at the club was a crucial, perhaps even deciding, factor in Haaland choosing City when he had an array of teams chasing him when he left Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

While Guardiola remains at City, it is difficult to envisage the team sliding out of contention for the major honors, so Haaland has nothing to worry about in terms of playing for a competitive team.

But the big question over City’s future, and Haaland’s, is about what happens when Guardiola decides to move on. The 54-year-old is under contract until June 2027, but he has made contradictory statements about whether he will leave the club on expiry or whether he will sign a new deal.

Yet once Guardiola vacates the stage, will the appeal of playing for a new coach work for Haaland or will it be the moment to consider his own future?

A quick recollection of Manchester United’s decline following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 may set alarm bells ringing for Haaland, but Liverpool‘s ability to win the Premier League under Arne Slot last season following Jürgen Klopp’s exit a year earlier offers a more positive scenario for a post-Pep era at City.

But make no mistake, once Guardiola leaves City, it will leave Haaland with a big decision of his own about whether to stay or go.

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Pep Guardiola: We can reach new levels this season

Man City manager Pep Guardiola believes his side can reach new levels this season after their 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

The 115 charges

It is now more than a year since a hearing into the Premier League charges against City for 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations was heard by a panel of judges — it actually concluded after 12 weeks in early December 2024 — but all parties are still waiting for a decision to be announced.

City deny all charges, but if the verdict goes against the club, a range of disciplinary options are available to the Premier League, ranging from substantial fines, points deductions and the ultimate threat of expulsion from the competition.

If the worst-case scenario of expulsion is applied to City, Haaland’s future will be just one of many issues within an existential crisis for the club.

But if City are punished with points deductions that cost them a place in the UEFA Champions League or hit with a financial penalty that forces them to offload players to balance the books, Haaland’s future at the club will come into serious doubt.

The flipside for City is that, if they are vindicated and exonerated by the panel, the club will likely invest heavily in the squad and that will only make them stronger and a much more attractive proposition for Haaland.

The lure of LaLiga

Ever since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan took control of City with his takeover in September 2008, the club has had a remarkable record in terms of holding onto its best players.

None of City’s top stars have been lured away from the Etihad by LaLiga giants Real Madrid or Barcelona during their peak years and that is because the Premier League club have been able to offer both ongoing success and huge wages to keep their players happy at the club.

But over the years, Manchester United have lost Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Arsenal couldn’t stop Thierry Henry moving to Barcelona and Liverpool have seen Luis Suárez (Barcelona) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real) leave Anfield for LaLiga’s superpower clubs.

And despite his lifelong affinity to Spurs, Harry Kane shelved his attempt at taking Shearer’s record by moving to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2024.

Madrid and Barça are the two clubs most likely to appeal to Haaland, though, and both would make a move should he signal an interest in a move to Spain.

With Robert Lewandowski now 37, Barca will be scouting for a replacement for the Poland international sooner rather than later, so City may need to brace themselves for an approach from Spain for their biggest star long before his contract expires.

So, will Haaland eclipse Shearer?

Despite all of the obstacles that Haaland may have to clear, it seems a certainty that he will break Shearer’s record if he remains at City for the duration of his contract.

Even if he suffers injury and a prolonged loss of form, Haaland still has eight-and-a-half years on his City contract, so it would be unthinkable for him to fail to topple Shearer.

But whether he is prepared to stay at City for that length of time, especially with the uncertainty over Guardiola and the 115 charges, is the biggest question mark over Haaland breaking the record.

The likeliest outcome? Haaland will quickly get to 200 goals, but the appeal of a new challenge elsewhere will prove more tantalising than the chance to break Shearer’s record.

So for now, Shearer’s record might just be safer than everyone thinks.



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Tiger Woods released from jail after DUI arrest; eyes appear bloodshot in booking photo

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Tiger Woods released from jail after DUI arrest; eyes appear bloodshot in booking photo


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Tiger Woods was released from jail Friday night after he was arrested earlier in the day on a DUI charge following a car crash in Florida.

In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, Woods’ eyes appeared bloodshot, as he donned a blue polo inside the Martin County Jail in Florida.

Woods was seen leaving the jail in the passenger seat of a black SUV after his release on bail late Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed in a news conference that Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, resulting in his vehicle rolling over onto the driver’s side. 

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Tiger Woods was booked into Martin County, Florida, jail on March 27, 2026. (AP)

Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.

“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” Budensiek added. 

“We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And, so, he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”

Woods was spotted on the phone after the crash, wearing navy blue shorts.

Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a test, all misdemeanor charges. No one was injured, authorities said. Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.

Tiger woods leaves jail

Tiger Woods was driven from the Martin County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence following a car crash on March 27, 2026, in Stuart, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

VANESSA, KAI TRUMP TAKE IN TIGER WOODS’ RETURN TO GOLF AT TGL FINALS

“This could’ve been a lot worse,” Budensiek noted. 

President Donald Trump commented on the arrest of his “very close friend.”

“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said. “There was an accident, and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty.”

Woods has not commented on the arrest.

Tiger Woods mugshot

Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after getting into a car crash on Friday. (Associated Press)

Woods currently is dating Trump’s ex-daughter-in-law, Vanessa, whose daughter, Kai, is set to play college golf in Miami next week.

This is Woods’ second DUI arrest within the last decade. In 2017, he was taken into custody, also in Jupiter Island, after taking prescription drugs and being asleep behind the wheel of a running car at 3 a.m. 

In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.

Tiger Woods car flip accident aftermath

Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026.  (Jason Oteri/AP)

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Woods made his return to competitive golf earlier this week in the TGL championship after rupturing his Achilles just before last year’s Masters (this year’s tournament is in less than two weeks). Woods has not appeared on the links since the 2024 PGA Championship, in which he missed the cut.

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That time Liverpool’s Salah won Puskás Award with his ‘7th-best’ goal of the year

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That time Liverpool’s Salah won Puskás Award with his ‘7th-best’ goal of the year


Mohamed Salah formally broke the news on Tuesday that many Liverpool fans had felt was coming for several months: that he will be cutting his contract short and leaving Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Salah signed a new two-year deal with the Reds last summer. However, since then a dip in form, a slip down the pecking order, an explosive public outburst and a subsequent nosedive in his relationship with head coach Arne Slot, has seen the Egypt international fail to get as much game time as he feels he deserves.

However, since arriving in 2017, Salah has firmly established himself as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players and will undoubtedly depart a hero regardless of the current circumstances.

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The 33-year-old has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for the club (putting him third on their all-time list) and been instrumental in two Premier League title triumphs, domestic cup successes and the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2018-19.

He has also collected a number of individual plaudits, including three PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards, two Premier League Player of the Season awards and four Premier League Golden Boots.

Salah was also bestowed with the illustrious Puskás Award as part of The Best FIFA Award gala night in 2018, which — unlike the majority of his vast array of prizes and trophies — raised more than a few quizzical eyebrows around the world.

The forward was handed world football’s Goal of the Year award via an online fan vote for his strike against Everton in December 2017, when he collected the ball on the edge of the box before darting between two defenders and curling an exquisite finish beyond the goalkeeper.

Of course, it was and remains a perfectly decent goal. Yet many at the time were baffled to see Salah’s effort deemed to be the most beautiful goal scored that year … when it wasn’t even his best goal of 2017-18, or anywhere close.

The sentiment was even echoed by teammate James Milner, who offered wry congratulations to his then-Liverpool teammate after the winner was announced, fending off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and a clutch of scorching golazos from the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

“Congrats Mo Salah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year,” Milner wrote in a social-media post which also featured “#oneofmanyworldies” among several hashtags and emojis.

But was Milner right? By our count there were at least six Salah strikes from his imperious 2017-18 season that deserved a place on the Puskás short list ahead of his goal in the Merseyside derby. But, whether you agree with this subjective list or not, it serves as a reminder of just what a player Salah has been for Liverpool.


Salah scored twice in a 3-0 victory against Southampton including a lovely effort from outside the box. The precise, angled finish was fairly similar to his strike against Everton but from a little further out.

2. Nov. 29, 2017 vs. Stoke City

Another rampant 3-0 win saw Salah score the goal of the game when he connected with a dinked cross from Sadio Mané to thump a vicious volley past the goalkeeper. The powerful finish was actually voted Goal of the Month by Liverpool fans.

Liverpool inflicted a first Premier League defeat of 2017-18 on Manchester City with a frantic 4-3 victory over the leaders at Anfield that went down as the game of the season. The score went from 1-1 to 4-1 in the space of just nine hectic minutes with Salah scoring what proved to be the decisive goal with an audacious 35-yard lob.

Liverpool and Spurs contested another dramatic thriller that saw the two sides trade stoppage-time goals in a pulsating 2-2 draw at Anfield. Salah opened the scoring for the home side before Victor Wanyama pegged them back with an absolutely monstrous hit from distance. The Egypt international then looked to have snatched a 91st-minute win when he wriggled through a cluster of four defenders and belted it past Hugo Lloris. However, a 96-minute penalty from Harry Kane spoiled the party somewhat.

5. March 17, 2018 vs. Watford

Salah scored four goals (and assisted the other) in a 5-0 rout at Anfield on what proved to be one of many virtuoso displays for the nimble forward this season. His first was good, the second was slick and the third was nigh-on ingenious as the Reds star somehow fended off an entire pack of defenders before prodding an improvised finish past the goalkeeper.

6. April 24, 2018 vs. AS Roma

If you’ll forgive the obvious pun, Salah filed another five-star performance in Liverpool’s 5-2 thrashing of his former club in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. He opened the scoring with his best goal of the night, curling an immaculate shot beyond the outstretched arm of future teammate Alisson Becker. He then dinked home a second before laying on assists for the Reds’ third and fourth goals of the evening.



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Tiger Woods arrested, charged with DUI after Florida crash: police

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Tiger Woods arrested, charged with DUI after Florida crash: police


Tiger Woods reacts after holing his bogey putt on the 17th green during the second round at Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, US, April 8, 2023. — Reuters

Tiger Woods’ turbulent career veered into fresh turmoil on Friday when the golf icon was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said.

Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck while attempting to overtake on a residential road on Jupiter Island, flipping onto its side before sliding to a stop.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods — who was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017 — showed signs of “impairment”, although he passed a breathalyser test. 

“When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test in the crash,” Budensiek said.

The 15-time major champion was released later on Friday, with Florida law requiring him to remain in jail for at least eight hours before he could post bail.

Budensiek said drug recognition experts who examined Woods at the scene found the golfer “lethargic” and believed he was impaired with “some kind of medication or drug.”

No drugs or medication were found in his vehicle and since Woods refused the urine test, his right under Florida law, authorities “will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash,” Budensiek said.

‘Could have been worse’

While neither Woods nor the driver of the other vehicle was injured, Budensiek said the incident on the two-lane road “could have been a lot worse.”

“Had somebody been moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries,” he said.

Budensiek said he didn’t know how fast Woods was driving in the moments before the crash.

He said the driver of the truck had slowed to make a turn, then tried to move to the side of the road when he saw Woods’s fast-moving vehicle attempting to overtake him.

“When I show you the photos, they kind of speak for themselves … you can see that [Woods] slid for a decent space before he came to a stop,” said the sheriff, who said that after the crash Woods climbed out of the passenger-side window of his Land Rover.

President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for Woods in remarks to reporters in Miami following the incident.

“He’s got some difficulty, there was an accident, and that’s all I know,” Trump said. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man, but, uh, some difficulty.”

Woods was arrested in Jupiter in 2017 after police found him asleep at the wheel of his damaged car. Woods eventually pleaded guilty to reckless driving and said he had taken a mix of painkillers.

Five years ago, Woods was involved in a serious car crash in California that left him with severe right leg injuries that required pins inserted in his foot and ankle and a rod in his tibia as well as a follow-up surgery in 2023.

Woods returned from that crash at the 2022 Masters, where he struggled to walk all four rounds on the way to a 47th-place finish.

Woods, whose clean-cut image was left in tatters after a 2009 sex scandal that upended his career, has been working to return from an Achilles tendon rupture last March and back surgery last October.

He competed earlier this week in the TGL simulator indoor golf league finals and had not ruled out playing in next month’s Masters, where his five victories include his first major title in 1997 and his most recent in 2019.

“This body … it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn´t mean I’m not trying,” Woods said. “I keep trying.”

Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour career victories are level with Sam Snead for the all-time record, has not competed on tour since missing the cut at the British Open in July 2024.

He last made the cut at the 2024 Masters, where he finished 60th.





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