2026-04-20 10:28:37
Erling Haaland says his girlfriend is unhappy with the physical nature of Premier League games.
The Manchester City striker was involved in an intense battle with Arsenal defender Gabriel as City beat their title rivals 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday (19.04.26) and explained that his partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen is unhappy with the “scratches” he suffers during games.
Haaland told reporters: “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.”
The Norwegian marksman felt that his honesty spared Gabriel from a red card when the Brazilian centre-back pushed his head towards him during a second-half incident.
Haaland said: “If I go down, it’s a red card. I would never do this. My father taught me this – stay on your feet and don’t be a… it starts with P. That’s the reality. Maybe I should have gone down, maybe it would be easier, but I didn’t and I got a yellow card for it.”
City’s vital win means they are now only three points behind Arsenal at the top of the table – and can go on top with a victory against Burnley on Wednesday (22.04.26) – but Haaland has urged his team-mates not to look too far ahead in the title battle.
He said: “We’re calm. There are a few of us who have been in this situation before. A few new, a lot of new. It’s about staying calm and thinking about what you can do.
“It’s boring but you have to focus game by game. Enjoy this but tomorrow you need to start thinking about Burnley. That’s the reality of this club in this title race, because the last weeks is when things get decided.”
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