Erling Haaland believes Arsenal's Gabriel should have received a red card for attempting to headbutt him during Manchester City's 2-1 victory. The incident occurred when Haaland outmuscled Gabriel to score the winning goal, leading to a confrontation between the two players. Gabriel leaned his head into Haaland, but both players were booked by referee Anthony Taylor. Former official Mike Dean suggested that Gabriel was fortunate to avoid a red card, and Haaland agrees, stating that if he had reacted differently, the outcome might have been different.
'I think it's a red card,' Haaland said. 'If I go down like any other guy, it's a red card.
My father taught me to stay on my feet.' Haaland's comments were echoed by Sky Sports' Gary Neville, who thought Gabriel was lucky to avoid stricter punishment. The incident was reviewed by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd, with differing opinions on whether Gabriel should have been sent off. Haaland's winner has brought Manchester City within three points of the league leaders, and they have a game in hand. Haaland remains focused on his team's performance, stating, 'We should just focus on ourselves.
In three days, it's a new game. Go recover, eat well, relax, and focus on the next one.'