‘I Don’t Know’—Haaland Fires Telling Message to Arsenal After Gabriel Clash
Erling Haaland left his battling for the pitch.
After emerging with a few new scratches and bruises—as well as one less undershirt—Manchester City’s match-winner did not take the open opportunity to directly jab at Arsenal. Instead, his simple questioning of Gabriel’s actions proved to be far more penetrative.
Reflecting on the nose-to-nose exchange with the Brazilian center back towards the end of City’s 2–1 win at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, Haaland couldn’t understand why Gabriel had initiated the contact in the first place. “For me I don’t know why he comes up to my face,” the striker shrugged.
Trailing by a goal with seven minutes of normal time remaining, it was in Arsenal’s best interest to keep the game going. Yet, Gabriel let the emotion of the moment get the better of him, needlessly thrusting his forehead towards Haaland in a move which fortuitously saw him escape a red card.
This lapse in discipline once again opened Arsenal up to accusations of mental brittleness at just the time they needed level heads.
Arsenal Mentality Once Again Under the Microscope
City amp up the pressure. pic.twitter.com/NnVUzaq6Yn
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) April 19, 2026
Haaland was asked after the match if City were in Arsenal’s heads after closing the gap to three points with a game in hand. “I don’t know. You need to ask them,” he shrugged. “The last seasons they’ve come up short.”
No team in the 138-year history of England’s top flight has ever finished four straight seasons as runners-up. Arsenal became only the fourth side in the division’s existence to claim a trio of silver medals, replicating an unwanted feat which Arsène Wenger suffered at the turn of the 21st century. However, in that fourth year, Wenger eventually got the better of Manchester United to win the 2001–02 title.
The Gunners have been top of the table since Oct. 4, 2025. In total they have spent 206 days (and counting) at the Premier League summit, finishing each and every gameweek ahead of Manchester City. Yet, as Haaland pointed out, they have been here before. During the 2022–23 campaign, Arsenal broke the record for days atop the table without winning the league, amassing as many as 248 before ending the campaign empty handed.
Bottles purporting to contain “Arsenal tears” were on sale outside the Etihad—and that was before the latest stumble in this crumbling charge.
The idea that this race has been lost by Arsenal, rather than won by City, is underscored by the wobbly form of Pep Guardiola’s side. Since the turn of the year, the Gunners have dropped 17 points. Over the same timespan, City have frittered away 15. Manchester United have amassed more points than both title challengers in 2026.
Gabriel’s rush of blood to the head was symptomatic of a side that has lacked craft and composure for so much of the campaign. Mikel Arteta so often wails about guts and character and spirit—traits usually valued in a relegation battle—yet Arsenal’s problem is a lack of finesse, rather than fight.
Arsenal’s stranglehold of the division was loosened by the 2–1 defeat to City but at least they actually created some chances for Kai Havertz to squander. All too often this season, especially in the spring, the Gunners have run out of ideas. Arteta’s side rank fourth in the division for expected goals from open play, with the muddled iterations of Chelsea and Liverpool—as well as City—both more creative than the league leaders.
Arteta Rails Against Prevailing Narrative
This title race is going down to the wire. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XHITjrssy9
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 19, 2026
Arteta struck a surprisingly upbeat tone in his postmatch press conference. The beaten boss even managed a chuckle when asked if his players needed “picking up” in the dressing room after such a seismic setback.
“No,” he laughed. “I mean, if I have to pick [up] the players to win the Premier League with five games to go in our hands and be in the semifinal of the Champions League, I think I should be at home. So it’s not the case. It’s not needed. It’s never been needed, even in difficult moments. So we go again, that’s for sure.”
According to Arteta, the message from the players between themselves was: “O.K., we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let’s do it.”
Declan Rice said as much on the pitch after the final whistle, shouting to his teammates: “It’s not done.”
Wayne Rooney Takes Aim at Arsenal Fans
Wayne Rooney has predicted Arsenal to win the league. / James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images
Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney agreed with Rice, backing Arsenal to win the league on BBC’s Match of the Day. However, that prediction came with a caveat: The Emirates must get onside.
Arsenal’s home ground has been more of a hindrance than help in recent weeks. A fanbase scarred by three successive title failings has grown increasingly angsty, notably booing the side off the pitch after the 2–1 defeat to Bournemouth.
“The fans need to be better for the players and back the players a little bit more because that will have hurt the Arsenal players, 100%,” Rooney warned. Arteta has hinted at as much.
The supporters stuck by their players for the duration of a stodgy 2–0 win over Everton in March which was only decided at the death. “We noticed immediately the moment the crowd got more relaxed, more positive, the atmosphere changed and the players started to make better decisions and we managed to win the game,” Arteta reflected on that day. That patience has since been lost.
Arsenal’s Remaining Premier League Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, April 25 | Newcastle | Emirates Stadium, London |
| Saturday, May 2 | Fulham | Emirates Stadium, London |
| Sunday, May 10 | West Ham | London Stadium, London |
| Sunday, May 17 | Burnley | Emirates Stadium, London |
| Sunday, May 24 | Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park, London |
“Of course they [Arsenal fans] want to win the league and they’re desperate to win the league, but I think they need to understand they’ve got a role to play,” Rooney explained.
“If you look at Manchester United for instance, when over the last few years they have been going through a tough time with Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, the fans were right behind the manager and backed the manager at the stadium. They were constantly singing and getting behind the team and very rarely booed the team off.
“Arsenal have been top of the league all season, they’re in the Champions League semifinals and they lose against Bournemouth and they get booed off?”
It has been viewed by many as a positive that Arsenal’s next two Premier League fixtures are on home turf. Yet, if the Emirates remains a negative bowl of doom-mongering, the players will spend these decisive weeks fighting against their own fans as well as their opponents.
