Sports
‘Haaland throwing ball at Gabriel a coward’s move’
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has condemned Manchester City forward Erling Haaland’s actions during the heated 2-2 draw between Arsenal and City at the Etihad Stadium. After City’s late equalizer by John Stones, Haaland threw the ball at the back of Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães, who was visibly frustrated and had his shirt over his head.
Wright expressed his frustration, calling Haaland’s behavior a “coward’s move,” since Gabriel was looking away at the time. “The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move,” Wright said on Instagram, emphasizing that Gabriel would have faced Haaland “eye to eye” if given the chance.
The incident was reviewed by VAR, but no action was taken as it wasn’t considered a red card offense. The Football Association also decided not to pursue further action regarding the incident or the exchanges between players at the final whistle. Wright, however, was particularly irked by Haaland’s unsportsmanlike gesture, stating, “I thought you [Haaland] were bigger than that.”