Ian Wright brandished Erling Haaland as a ‘coward’ after his actions in the closing stages of Manchester City’s draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
The Gunners thought they were heading top of the Premier League table but were denied when John Stones prodded home a 97th-minute equaliser to rescue a point.
It was a cagey affair at the Etihad Stadium which proved to be the latest feisty encounter in an increasingly fiery rivalry between the Premier League’s two best sides.
Tempers flared over at full-time when Haaland told Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’, and the Norwegian striker landed himself in more hot water prior to that when cameras picked up his reaction to City’s late equaliser.
Wheeling away in celebration, the 24-year-old gathered the ball from the back of the net before bouncing it off the back of Gabriel’s head.
An altercation occurred shortly after between Haaland the Brazilian defender, but Wright believes that the entire incident reflected poorly on the City star and brandished him as a coward for his part in it.
‘I just felt like I needed to put something out there which has been bothering me. Because obviously the Trossard sending off – of course, in the moment, you’re frustrated,’ the former Arsenal striker said on Instagram.
‘It’s 2-1. And I’m thinking ‘yes, we’ve got them’. And then we get sent off for something that, let’s face it, is f*****g foolishness – what they’re getting sent off for now. So in the moment, yeah. Again, you shouldn’t be sent off for that.
‘But the one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move, bro. I saw it this morning properly.
‘Throwing the ball in Gabi’s head when he’s not looking. When Gabi’s back’s turned to him. Real coward’s move.
‘Gabi would look him in the eye, you know. I’m looking at this as a really good defender vs striker for the years to come, them two. I love watching them two. And then you’re doing a coward’s move like that?
‘That’s what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you was bigger than that, bro. I thought you was bigger than that.’
After the game, Pep Guardiola sought to defend his striker’s actions, saying: ‘I think it was emotions and that’s it.’
Despite being involved in numerous incidents throughout the game, Haaland has avoided a retrospective punishment from the Football Association (FA).
The incident involving Gabriel was reviewed during the game by VAR official John Brooks but no action was deemed necessary at the time.
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