“Arsenal legends are fond of saying bullsh**t and none of them ever won the UCL for the club, I won Man City’s first ever UCL”- Erling Halaand finally speaks out and fires back at Arsenal legend who called him a “coward”
“Arsenal legends are fond of saying bullsh**t and none of them ever won the UCL for the club, I won Man City’s first ever UCL”- Erling Halaand finally speaks out and fires back at Arsenal legend who called him a “coward”
Erling Haaland finally speaks out after being branded a coward by Arsenal legend
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has spoken out for the first time in two weeks following the controversial incident against Arsenal
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his actions during the heated 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, where he faced criticism and was branded a “coward” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
The incident in question occurred after City equalised in injury time when Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes’ head. The match had seen Arsenal take the lead with goals from Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori, following Haaland’s early opener. Despite being reduced to ten men, Arsenal delivered a commendable defensive performance, only to have their hopes dashed when John Stones scored with virtually the last kick of the game.
Haaland’s actions were caught on Sky Sports cameras but did not attract significant attention until Ian Wright voiced his frustration on social media nearly 24 hours later. In a widely shared video, Wright criticised Haaland, stating, “The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move. I saw it this morning properly. Throwing the ball at Gabi’s head when he’s not looking—real coward’s move.”
Wright highlighted the significance of the rivalry between Haaland and Gabriel, calling the incident disappointing and asserting that the striker should be above such behaviour. He added, “I thought you were bigger than that, bro.”
Fellow Arsenal legend Martin Keown also chimed in, declaring that Haaland had made himself Arsenal’s “personal enemy,” while broadcaster Piers Morgan labelled him a “nasty piece of work.”
After two weeks of silence, Erling Haaland addressed the criticism in his first Instagram post in nearly a month. He wrote, “Hey guys. Just wanted to thank the club, the fans, and everyone for all the support over the past couple of weeks. Let’s look ahead and focus on what’s next.”
Following the match, Gabriel issued a warning to Manchester City, stating that Arsenal would be “waiting” for their rematch in February. He reiterated, “We are waiting for them at our ground.”
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed Haaland’s controversial action but determined that it did not warrant a red card. Gabriel, who was visibly frustrated during the incident, later downplayed the significance of such occurrences in football.
He said, “No, I don’t remember it. It’s normal. But anyway, congratulations to the team for the draw. As I said, battle, war, provocation is normal in football and it is part of the game. It’s over now. Now we are waiting for them at our ground.”
