Erling Haaland found himself at the center of controversy during Manchester City’s late equalizer against Arsenal, with many, including Gary Neville, suggesting the striker should have seen red for his actions.
Haaland’s ninth-minute goal had given City an early advantage, but Arsenal quickly responded with goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel, turning the match on its head to take a 2-1 lead before half-time. However, Arsenal’s momentum was disrupted when Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card for time-wasting, reducing the Gunners to 10 men.
City struggled to break Arsenal down until the dying moments of the game, when John Stones, coming off the bench, snatched a dramatic equalizer in the 98th minute. But it wasn’t just the late goal that made headlines. Right after Stones’ strike, Haaland was seen launching the ball directly at Gabriel’s head before sprinting away to celebrate. This action sparked a heated debate, with Neville asserting that the Norwegian striker should have been sent off.
On The Overlap podcast, former referee Christina Unkel weighed in, surprised that VAR didn’t intervene. “Especially with VAR in play immediately after the goal, I’m shocked that no further action was taken,” Unkel said, highlighting the peculiarity of the incident going unpunished.
Neville agreed, admitting that, while commentating, he had missed the incident live. “I actually agree with you, Christina. We didn’t catch it at the time, but if I had thrown a ball at [Jamie] Carragher’s head from a few meters away in my playing days, I’d fully expect to be red-carded,” Neville stated.
He added, “It doesn’t matter if it’s 2024, 2014, or 2004—throwing the ball deliberately at someone’s head should result in a red card. It might have looked amusing in the moment, but the fact remains: it’s a red card offense.”
Carragher, also on the podcast, seemed to downplay the severity, suggesting, “Is that really a red card? Maybe just a yellow?”
Neville, however, stood by his stance: “If you throw the ball at someone’s head intentionally, you’re asking for a red. It’s as simple as that. We’d be talking about how foolish the player was, with no defense for their actions.”
Despite the debate, Haaland faced no consequences for his actions and will be available for Manchester City’s upcoming matches, including their trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United. He’s also expected to feature in City’s next Champions League fixture against Slovan Bratislava, as they look to secure their first win in the competition after a goalless draw with Inter Milan.
