Erling Haaland mentioned that his partner “isn’t happy” with the number of scratches on his body as a result of physical encounters with Premier League defenders.
During a recent match where Manchester City secured a 2-1 victory against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, the Norwegian striker faced several tussles with centre-back Gabriel.
At one point, Haaland was even forced to discard his torn undershirt.
Pep Guardiola has urged referees to take a firmer stance against the grappling that Haaland endures during matches.
However, Haaland doesn’t believe he will receive any additional protection, which might raise further concerns from his long-time partner, Isabel.
“I think my shirt got tugged a bit!” Haaland remarked about his encounters with Gabriel.
“I didn’t get the foul; this is the reality of the Premier League nowadays. It’s like wrestling out there. Lots of duels, lots of scratches. Occasionally, my girlfriend is not too pleased about this; it looks a bit off! But that’s the reality.”
Gabriel was lucky to avoid a red card after headbutting Haaland during a confrontation in the second half.
“I think that should have been a red card, and I believe most of you would agree,” Haaland expressed.
“If I had fallen down, it would have certainly been a red card. I’ve been taught not to go down easily by my dad — stay on your feet and don’t be a… it starts with P. That’s the reality. Maybe I should have gone down; perhaps it would have made things easier, but I didn’t, and I ended up receiving a yellow card for it.”
With City narrowing the gap with Arsenal to three points, they have the chance to move into first place if they defeat Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday.
The title race could very well hinge on goal difference. However, Haaland asserts that City cannot become overly focused on trying to outscore Mikel Arteta’s squad.
“You mustn’t think about that,” he said.
“It’s Burnley. You can’t approach a game with the mindset that you need to win by three, four, or five goals.”
“We are fully aware of our situation. We are still second, and we play on Wednesday.”
“Focusing too much on Arsenal isn’t the way to go. They’ve slipped in the past, but right now they’re first, and they’ve been the outstanding team this season.
“I don’t want to dwell too much on them; they’re a fantastic team, and we should concentrate on ourselves.”
– Man City’s victory over Arsenal gives them control of the title race
– VAR review: Should Gabriel have received a red card for the headbutt on Haaland?
– Past instances when Arsenal relinquished the Premier League title