Marmoush Magic: City’s New Hat-Trick Hero

Erling Haaland has been Man City’s goal machine for two years, but against Newcastle, it was Omar Marmoush who stunned the Etihad.

February 16, 2025
3:02 pm

There’s not much Erling Haaland hasn’t done since joining Manchester City.

Fifty-two goals in his first season, a record-breaking 36 in the Premier League. Thirty-eight in his second season, even after missing almost two months due to injury. He’s already got 27 this term. Two Golden Boots. Eleven hat-tricks. The numbers are wild!

But even with all those achievements, he wasn’t the star against Newcastle. That title went to Omar Marmoush.

The Egyptian forward, a £59m January signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, made a splash by scoring a blazing hat-trick in just 13 minutes and 54 seconds—faster than any of Haaland’s hat-tricks for City. It was a perfect performance right when Pep Guardiola’s team is heading to the Bernabéu on Wednesday, needing to bounce back from a one-goal deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

This was also the first time in over a year that a City player other than Haaland scored three in a game—Phil Foden was the last to do it at Brentford. That says a lot.

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City’s Over-Reliance on Haaland

One of the biggest issues during City’s mid-season slump—just one win in 13 games, ruining their hopes for a fifth straight league title and making their Champions League path tougher—was their struggle to share the goals.

During that rough patch, Haaland was the only City player to score more than twice. Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva each got a brace, but no one really stepped up. The pressure was obvious.

That’s why Guardiola turned to Marmoush after sporting director Txiki Begiristain picked him as a key target. The City boss reached out to contacts in Germany, and the feedback was fantastic.

“When Txiki came to me, I said, because of the season we had, the more players you bring, the better,” Guardiola shared.

“I called some contacts in Germany. I asked a few things and there was a high opinion in many areas—his behavior, training, goals. He’s young and comes here to make his career. That’s why the club decided to move.”

Marmoush had already scored 20 goals for Eintracht before his move—pretty impressive! At 26, he’s hitting his peak. And based on this performance, he could be just what City needs.

A New Dimension in Attack

Against Newcastle, Marmoush’s speed and knack for finding space made him a handful. Even Alan Shearer couldn’t stop praising him.

“Everything about his game was impressive,” the Premier League’s record goalscorer said on Match of the Day. “He already has a good understanding with Haaland. Newcastle couldn’t keep up with him.”

Guardiola agreed.

“We knew he would be good with his dynamic,” he said. “In Germany, he had great numbers. He had three chances last week against Leyton Orient but didn’t score. He loves to attack space. When you play well, everyone adapts quickly.”

For once, Haaland wasn’t the main star. The Norwegian didn’t score but still contributed by setting up James McAtee’s goal late in the game. More importantly, he wore the captain’s armband for the first time.

Haaland Takes the Armband – and Responsibility

Guardiola usually lets the players pick their leaders, but with club captain Kyle Walker now at AC Milan and Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva starting on the bench, he made the call himself.

“When Kyle left, Kevin became first, but I nominated Erling, not them,” Guardiola said. “When a player is going to be here 10 years, sooner or later, you need to take responsibility.”

Haaland took on the role with enthusiasm. He led the press, worked hard, and pushed the team forward.

The only worry? A late injury scare. The 23-year-old sat down flexing his leg before physios rushed in. He was quickly taken off, but Guardiola downplayed any concerns.

City fans will hope it’s nothing serious. With Marmoush making an instant impact and Haaland leading the way, Guardiola might have found a new attacking balance—just in time for their biggest night of the season.