Despite scoring his 100th goal for Manchester City in just his 105th appearance, Erling Haaland’s actions during Sunday’s match against Arsenal have sparked more attention than his milestone. In a tense game full of dramatic moments, Haaland found himself at the center of controversy after John Stones’ late equalizer.
During the wild celebrations following the 97th-minute goal, Haaland grabbed the ball and threw it at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes’ head. The two had already been involved in several clashes throughout the match, including a previous battle when the sides met earlier this year.
Although Gabriel initially didn’t react and stayed calm, Haaland’s physical play continued shortly after the restart, where he forcefully collided with Thomas Partey. Gabriel saw his opportunity and confronted Haaland, resulting in a heated standoff with both players shoving each other. The tension escalated as Haaland took on multiple Arsenal players, even dismissing Myles Lewis-Skelley with a verbal jab.
At full-time, Haaland’s anger wasn’t over. He turned his attention to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, telling him to “Stay humble.” Then, when Gabriel Jesus tried to intervene, Haaland insulted him, calling him a “f clown” twice.
Despite the fiery antics, Haaland is unlikely to face any punishment. The Football Association is not investigating his post-match behavior, and the ball-throwing incident was reviewed by VAR during the game. Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey admitted Haaland was fortunate, noting, “You could argue it’s violent conduct… He’s used the ball as a weapon.” However, since the incident was checked by VAR, there won’t be any retrospective action taken.
Another ex-referee, Dermot Gallagher, acknowledged the difficulty of managing such an intense game but supported the decision not to penalize Haaland further, given the high emotions and heated atmosphere at the time.
As the review is already complete, Haaland and Manchester City appear to have dodged further consequences from the incident.
