In a Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, the score was 3-3 at that time. The game was in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Erling Haaland attempted to advance with the ball after receiving it from Radrizzani but fell victim to a foul in each attack. The referee chose not to blow the whistle for the foul, allowing the game to continue. Haaland, taking advantage of this, increased the ball’s pace to aid Satrijith Jack Grealish.
Grealish was bypassing the opposition defenders, with only the goalkeeper ahead. However, before ending the attack on Grealish, the referee unexpectedly refrained from calling the foul. This decision led to some outcry, with Haaland even increasing the volume of his protests. The incident even prompted Football Association (FA) allegations against City for their inability to control players.
This event drew criticism, with even Tottenham’s players Giovanie Lo Celso and Brendan Johnson being upset. They were seen shouting in frustration. Later, Haaland reposted a video of the foul incident, using a caption that contained a profanity. This led to increased calls for disciplinary action against Haaland.
This incident prompted a social media viral photo all day long, with Haaland expressing amusement in his first public smile of the day. The post used Edward Munch’s famous painting ‘The Scream’ to create humor around the situation.
Arsenal’s fans have issued warnings against Haaland, suggesting that he laid hands on the referee, which should result in a significant penalty. In response, someone expressed annoyance, while another stated it would have been different if the team involved were Arsenal.
Some have even recalled the incident from last season when Alexander Mitrovic received an eight-match ban for his outcry against referee Chris Kavanagh after Fulham’s loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup.
