Erling Haaland has revealed that his girlfriend is not happy with the physical nature of Premier League matches, describing the top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal as 'wrestling'. The Manchester City striker stayed on his feet after a confrontation with Gabriel Magalhaes, which could have resulted in a red card for the Arsenal defender.
Haaland scored the winner in the 1-0 victory, but the day could have been worse for Arsenal when Gabriel pushed his head into Haaland's in an apparent butt. However, the Norwegian remained upright and was surprised to be booked alongside the Brazilian, who would have faced a three-match ban if dismissed.
Haaland credited his father, former City and Leeds player Alf Inge, for instilling in him the principle of staying on his feet. 'If I go down, it's a red card. I would never do this,' Haaland said. 'My father taught me this – stay on your feet and don't be a… it starts with P. That's the reality.'
The striker added: 'I think my shirt got a bit pulled. I didn't get the foul, this is the Premier League nowadays. It's wrestling here and there. A lot of duels. A lot of scratches. Sometimes my missus is not so happy about this, it looks a bit wrong. But that's the reality.'
City's win leaves them three points behind Arsenal, and they can go top with a win against Burnley on Wednesday. Haaland emphasised the need for calm in the title race, saying: 'We're calm. There are a few of us who have been in this situation before. It's about staying calm and thinking about what you can do.'
