Manchester City striker Erling Haaland says Arsenal defender Gabriel should have been sent off for attempting to headbutt him during City’s 2-1 win over the Gunners.
The two renewed their rivalry on Sunday, with Haaland outmuscling the Brazilian and scoring the winning goal, but things reached a boiling point when the two sides squared off against each other.
Gabriel cocked his head at the striker but was spared a red card as referee Anthony Taylor cautioned both players.
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Haaland and Magalhães squared off, but should Gabriel have seen red?
Former official Mike Dean later suggested that the Arsenal man was lucky not to have seen the red, and Haaland said he believed his reaction saved his rivals.
After the match, he said: “I think it’s a red card.”
“I think most people agree with me. If I go down like any other player, it’s a red card. That’s not what I do. My father taught me to stay on my feet.”
“That’s the reality. Should I have gone down? Maybe so. It would have been easier if I had done that. But I didn’t and I got a yellow card. I don’t know why.”
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Watch for free: Premier League highlights between Manchester City and Arsenal
Neville: Gabriel’s headbutt is “usually red”
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville also suggested in commentary that Gabriel was lucky to have avoided a harsher punishment.
“City would be absolutely furious if Gabriel scored late in the game,” Neville later said on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“That’s it. I think it was actually Steve McManaman in the Manchester derby. You can butt heads. That’s fine. We might both get a yellow. So in that moment (of pushing forward), it’s usually a red.”
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Gary Neville says Manchester City have a whiff of the title after their decisive win over Arsenal, saying Bernardo Silva put in an “outstanding” performance to control the match.
“That was Anthony Taylor’s surprise, that he treated them both the same.
“I think he (Gabriel) actually kept his head down as well. Haaland is performing great. He didn’t react. He might have put his hand to his face and I think Gabriel walked straight off the pitch within a second.”
“I don’t like to see players sent off, but Gabriel, he was lucky. It didn’t mean anything in the end, but if Gabriel had scored late in the game or City had conceded, Josep Guardiola would have been screaming and whining about the rationalization. I think he would have been annoyed.”
“The double yellow card is a justified result.”
The incident was reviewed on Ref Watch by former Premier League referees Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd, both of whom had differing opinions.
Gallagher believed it was the right decision not to send Gabriel off, but Bothroyd was of the opinion that referee Anthony Taylor had made a mistake.
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Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd debate whether Gabriel should have been sent off
“It was a very even result. Both players were aggressive throughout the match. It was just typical of what was at stake,” Gallagher said.
“Gabriel is very unwise in what he’s doing. It’s not smart and he’s taking a risk. But if you look, he’s actually passing in front of him and he’s not going through him and he’s not headbutting him.
“But it was very fortunate for him that Haaland was very responsible, because if he hit the deck, the whole situation would change and the referee would have to deal with a different situation.”
Mr Bothroyd said: “Gabriel was lucky. If you look at the rules, it’s an act of violence to put your head in someone’s face. That’s an act of violence and we’ve had people sent off for doing that kind of move towards someone’s head.”
“What Haaland said was absolutely correct. If he fell down holding his face there, he would get a red card and then a three-game suspension.”
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Jamie Carragher has spoken out about the controversial incident in which Arsenal’s Gabriel avoided a red after attempting to headbutt Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Haaland ready to ensure Arsenal are eliminated for the fifth time
Haaland’s winner means City are just three points adrift of the league leaders at the end of the game. A win against Burnley on Wednesday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, would see them return to the top of the table for the first time since August.
Haaland, who has beaten Arsenal in three of the past four seasons, admitted he was unsure whether Mikel Arteta had an Arsenal team in mind, but was focused on repeating history.
Asked if City were on Arsenal’s mind, Haaland said: “I don’t know. We have to ask them.”
“In the last four seasons, they haven’t come close. For now, they’re still in first place. They’re still the best team this season.
“I don’t want to talk too much about them. We should focus on ourselves. It’s a new game in three days. Recover, eat well, relax and focus on the next game.”
