Arsenal legend slams Erling Haaland over his brow with Gabriel Magalhaes

2 months ago 3

Erling Haaland has been told he is a 'real coward' after his unsportsmanlike conduct during Manchester City's clash with Arsenal
The 24-year-old mischievously struck the head of Gabriel Magalhaes with the ball as part of City's late equaliser celebrations
Multiple reports indicate that he will escape punishment for his actions, as VAR did not view his actions as violent conduct

Legendary Arsenal striker Ian Wright did not mince words when he called out Erling Haaland for what he described as "cowardly" behaviour during Manchester City's intense Premier League encounter with the Gunners on Sunday.

Haaland, who played a pivotal role in the match, found himself at the centre of both positive and controversial moments.

Erling Haaland was involved in a near brawl with Gabriel Magalhaes during Manchester City's Premier League game with Arsenal.

What did Erling Haaland do?

The Norwegian star initially made headlines for the right reasons. His ninth-minute strike opened the scoring, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 100 goals in the quickest time.

However, his subsequent actions during City's late equaliser celebrations overshadowed that achievement.

Haaland struck the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes' head in what many considered an unsportsmanlike move.

Despite the incident sparking widespread outrage among Arsenal fans, Football London reported that Haaland would face no punishment.

VAR reviewed the incident and deemed it not to constitute violent conduct. Referee Michael Oliver also refrained from booking Haaland, and the Football Association (FA) later confirmed it would not take any retrospective action following the heated clash.

Arsenal legend calls Haaland a 'big coward'

Arsenal supporters took to social media to express their discontent, and Ian Wright, the club's second all-time top scorer, echoed their frustrations in a video shared on his Instagram.

"The one thing that really got to me was Haaland’s cowardly move," Wright said, as quoted by the Mirror."Throwing the ball at Gabi’s head when he wasn’t looking—when his back was turned. That’s a real coward’s move."

Wright went on to emphasize that Gabriel Magalhaes would not have backed down if faced head-on.

"Gabi would look him in the eye, you know. That’s what bothered me the most. I thought Haaland was bigger than that."

Haaland’s behaviour didn’t end there.

He was also involved in a near-altercation with Gabriel after the match and reportedly directed disrespectful remarks at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.