Free-scoring City had the game won by the 25th minute at Etihad Stadium on Sunday (AEST), with Haaland scoring twice after John Stones' stunning opener.

Subbed off at half-time, Haaland has now netted 32 league goals this season, matching Salah's haul from the 2017-2018 campaign. 

Sloppy defending allowed Kelechi Iheanacho to grab a consolation for Leicester in Dean Smith's first match in charge, with the former City striker hitting the post in stoppage time as the host rather staggered over the line to reduce Arsenal's lead to three points.

City enjoyed 93 per cent of the possession in the opening five minutes and was rewarded when Stones arched a brilliant left-footed strike into the right-hand corner.

Leicester's slim chances of snatching a much-needed shock victory were further dented when Wilfred Ndidi was deemed to have handled from Jack Grealish's cross.

Haaland slammed away the resulting penalty and had his second 12 minutes later, brilliantly collecting in Kevin De Bruyne's throughball and lifting a cute finish over Daniel Iversen.

With an eye on the midweek trip to Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola took the chance to rest both of his goalscorers at half-time.

Rodri joined Stones and Haaland in earning a rest shortly after, with Kalvin Phillips handed a rare league appearance, although City's composure turned to complacency when Iheanacho tapped in after Harry Souttar's header was saved by Ederson.

James Maddison missed a golden chance to set up a grandstand finish when he failed to beat Ederson, before Iheanacho struck the woodwork between two hopeful penalty appeals.

Albeit Leicester's resurgence was too little, too late.

Guardiola will not have been happy with his side’s display in the second half, the stuttering nature of the performance can in large part be put down to the number of changes made.

Leicester's new interim boss Smith, meanwhile, will target matches elsewhere as he looks to drag the Foxes out of danger, although his team had its chances to make a fight of it late on.

Haaland's goal tally for the season now stands at 47. The British single-season record stands at 63, held by Everton legend Dixie Dean who played in the 1920s, but many would not bet against the 22-year-old Norwegian surpassing that mark.

His next top-flight goal will see him set a record for the most scored in a 38-game Premier League campaign, while he is only two short of the outright competition record, which is shared by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.

De Bruyne was the creator of Haaland's second goal, nipping in ahead of the lacklustre Ndidi to steal the ball in midfield before playing a perfect pass through to City's superstar striker.

It brought up De Bruyne's 100th Premier League assist for City, while it was the eighth time the Belgium international has teed up Haaland in the competition.