World Cup Golden Boot race hots up as Erling Haaland scores twice after ex-Chelsea duo’s horror show

ERLING HAALAND grabbed his second World Cup double in four days as the race for the Golden Boot heated up at a wet MetLife Stadium.

But it was a night of double disaster for former Chelsea flops Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly as they gifted Norway three points.

Haaland joined Kylian Mbappe on four for the tournament, one behind Lionel Messi, with a pair of terrific finishes – after he had hit the post with the goal begging in the first half.

That upped the ante for Harry Kane, who will be desperate to add to his flying start against Croatia when he takes on Ghana in Boston tonight.

But blunder keeper Mendy and shambolic Koulibaly showed why Chelsea fans were so happy to see the back of them.

Koulibaly was at fault for all THREE Norway goals, two of them scored – of course, by predatory menace Haaland.

But Mendy was all over the place as well, shocking for the first after Koulibaly presented the ball on a plate for Norwegian substitute Marcus Pedersen.

The right-back’s shot then went straight through Mendy’s hands to send his Lions of Teranga tumbling on their way to a second straight defeat, meaning they MUST beat Iraq on Friday to have any chance of making the knock-outs in third place in Group I.

While Mendy left SW6 as a Champions League winner, it was further evidence as to why Stamford Bridge supporters were so happy to bank the combined £36m for a pair who cost more than £50m between them.

Indeed, Mendy was so lucky not to be punished again before half-time when he allowed Haaland to take the ball off his dawdling feet in the box.

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For once, the Manchester City man was fallible, striking the near post from a narrow angle.

But in gun crazy America, Koulibaly then shot his own team in the foot twice – either side of Crystal Palace man Ismaila Sarr briefly giving Senegal hope.

First he failed to get anywhere near Martin Odegaard’s angled pass, sliding on his rear end but actually doing nothing to impede the pass three minutes into the second half of a game that went ahead on schedule despite fears of another thunderstorm interruption.

To be fair to Haaland, his finish, from only his 12th touch of the match, was immaculate, a rising shot that Mendy could only help on its way into the top corner.

Sarr, bustling through onto Sadio Mane’s clever flick, briefly handed Senegal a way back into a match that was running away from them.

Not for long, though, as Koulibaly messed up for the third time.

Haaland was actually moaning at a miscommunication with Antonio Nusa.

Only for Koulibaly to implode once again, failing to clear and allowed half-time replacement Patrik Berg to feed the goal-hungry Haaland to guide in off the bar.

There looked no way back from that, Mendy injured and unable to continue after the third, before Koulibaly was hooked as well – with Spurs’ Pape Sarr coming on. 

Yet Sarr scored again, once more a top finish, in stoppage time, when he combined with ANOTHER Blues brother, Nicolas Jackson. 

Might that goal keep his side alive if they can beat Iraq?

From nowhere, Senegal came for a leveller, Norway hanging on when the game should have been totally done and dusted.

They survived the late test, after Sarr headed a corner deep in stoppage time over the bar from close range, to confirm a fight for top spot with France in Boston on Friday. 

And Haaland, who in two games has doubled Norway’s previous record World Cup scoring tally – Kjetil Rekdal netted two – and now ready to play Mbappe, is in the mood to set a mark that might never be beaten before he even leaves the USA.