Erling Haaland ignited a heated altercation at the conclusion of Manchester City’s tense draw with Arsenal, yet the striker has no remorse for his actions during the Premier League showdown.
In a surprising move, Haaland took matters into his own hands by bouncing the ball off the back of Arsenal’s Gabriel after John Stones scored a last-gasp equalizer, bringing the score to 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium last month.
This act led to chaos on the pitch, as players from both teams clashed in a fracas after the final whistle. The match was already marked by contention, featuring a red card for Leandro Trossard and accusations from City players that Arsenal resorted to “dirty tricks.”
While the incident could have landed Haaland in hot water with the FA, the absence of immediate action from the VAR allowed him to avoid any penalties.
In the aftermath, Gabriel ramped up the rivalry by warning the reigning champions that Arsenal would be poised for payback in their upcoming match at the Emirates. “We are waiting for them at our ground,” he stated.
Despite the brewing tensions, Haaland remains unapologetic. He openly challenged Arsenal to stop complaining about the incident, asserting, “I don’t regret much in life. In the heat of the moment, things happened in that game. What happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch. That’s how it is.”
While Haaland’s sentiments might intensify hostilities, Gabriel dismissed the incident as simply part of a competitive match. Reflecting on the events, he said, “I don’t even remember this. It’s normal; they were happy after scoring in the last minute. They were playing at home, so their duty was to win the match, but our team did really well to resist. It’s a battle, a war, so it’s normal to have provocative acts in football, it’s part of the game. Now this is over and we are waiting for them at our ground.”
However, not everyone shares Gabriel’s laid-back view. Arsenal legend Ian Wright expressed his outrage at Haaland’s behavior, calling him a “coward” for the incident. “The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move. Throwing the ball at Gabi’s head when he’s not looking. When Gabi’s back’s turned to him,” Wright said in an Instagram video. “Real coward’s move. Gabi would look him in the eye, you know. That’s what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you [Haaland] were bigger than that.”
