Erling Haaland's Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal on March 31, 2024, ending the Premier League champions' long run of scoring in every home league game, which stretched back to October 30, 2021.
Haaland famously let his hair down, literally, against the Gunners the previous season as he assisted Kevin De Bruyne twice and scored another to see them win 4-1 at the Etihad. City eventually went on to lift the league title as part of a famous treble, as Haaland set a new record for goals scored in a single Premier League season.
He wasted little time in the latest meeting between those teams, scoring after only nine minutes of the league game at the Etihad Stadium on September 22 to move onto 100 goals in all competitions for City.
The Norwegian striker continues to set the league alight and is firmly on course to win the Golden Boot for the third season running. But many strikers are now judged on their record against the 'big six', and Haaland failed to deliver against Arsenal, having also gone without a goal in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.
The Sporting News takes a look at who the 'big six' are, as well as Haaland's record in the biggest games of the season.
MORE: Why goal difference is so vital in Premier League title races
Who are the Premier League's 'big six'?
Before we get into Haaland's record, let us explain who the 'big six' are.
The term "big six" refers to six prominent football clubs in England: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.
These clubs have consistently been at the forefront of English football during the Premier League era (1992 onwards), not only for their on-field success but also for their global brand and commercial appeal.
The concept of the big six is a controversial one as some fans argue that their dominance stifles competition and prevents smaller clubs from breaking into the elite status.
We have seen so-called 'smaller clubs' challenge in the Premier League, most famously Leicester City in 2015/16 when they went on to win the title, but they remain the league's dominant forces. There is, however, the prospect of a 'big seven' on the horizon, with Newcastle United now bankrolled by the astonishing wealth of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Erling Haaland goals against the Premier League 'big six'
Haaland's career against the big six in the league got off to a pretty insane start as he bagged a hat-trick in the Manchester derby. He did then, however, go three games without a goal against these sides.
Perhaps the most baffling stat is that as of March 31, 2024, he is yet to score away from home against a team from the big six.
| Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
| 2022/23 | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| 2023/24 | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| 2024/25 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 20 | 15 | 7 |
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are the first players in Premier League history to both score hat-tricks in the same game against a 'Big Six' side. 🎩🎩
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 2, 2022
Most goals against Premier League big six
For football fans, especially those engrossed in England's top flight, judging a player's performance against the so-called big six has become common practice, especially across social media.
The focus stems from the belief that a player's ability to deliver against top-tier teams is a true reflection of their quality.
Goals scored or assists provided in matches against clubs like Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Spurs are seen as particularly noteworthy achievements.
Therefore, stats related to performances against the big six hold significant weight in discussions about player form, consistency, and their overall impact on the team.
Below is a list of the leading scorers in league matches against the big six during the Premier League era (so, from 1992/93), as per Statmuse.
All-time list of players with most goals against Premier League 'big six'
| Player | Team | Matches | Goals | Av. goals per min | |
| 1. | Alan Shearer | Newcastle United | 129 | 56 | 0.43 |
| 2. | Wayne Rooney | Manchester United, Everton | 135 | 45 | 0.33 |
| 3. | Sergio Aguero | Manchester City | 75 | 44 | 0.59 |
| 4. | Jamie Vardy | Leicester City | 98 | 43 | 0.44 |
| 5. | Mohamed Salah* | Liverpool, Chelsea | 71 | 42 | 0.59 |
| 6. | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Chelsea, Leeds United | 81 | 41 | 0.51 |
| 7. | Harry Kane* | Tottenham Hotspur | 81 | 39 | 0.48 |
| 8. | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 61 | 34 | 0.56 |
| = | Dion Dublin | Manchester United, Aston Villa | 92 | 34 | 0.37 |
| 10. | Robbie Fowler | Liverpool | 90 | 33 | 0.37 |
| 11. | Andrew Cole | Manchester United, Newcastle United, Manchester City | 109 | 32 | 0.29 |
*Denotes active player
