In a dramatic encounter at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal triumphed 5-1 over Manchester City, tension flared between Erling Haaland and Arsenal defender Gabriel.
A forensic lip-reader has now revealed what the Norwegian striker allegedly said to Gabriel during their heated exchange. The words spoken by Haaland shed light on the undercurrent of rivalry between the two players, which added fuel to an already intense match.
The spark for the exchange came after Martin Ødegaard’s opening goal for Arsenal. Gabriel, who had been enjoying an excellent performance on the day, was seen celebrating with his teammates but made sure to stop by Haaland to mock him, smiling in the Norwegian’s direction. This was seen as a bit of revenge, following Haaland’s incident earlier in the season when he threw a ball at Gabriel’s head during a fiery 2-2 draw between the two teams in September 2024. With Arsenal clearly dominating the match, Gabriel took the opportunity to get under Haaland’s skin.
Lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling, who analyzed the footage for JeffBet, revealed what Haaland allegedly said to Gabriel. According to Hickling, Haaland told Gabriel, “Don’t forget it. Look at it,” while pointing to his Premier League winners’ badge. Hickling further claims that Haaland added, “Don’t forget it. You’d love this, eh? Don’t forget it, yeah.” This statement was particularly poignant considering Arsenal’s recent close calls with Manchester City, having finished second to them in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons.
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The incident came against the backdrop of Haaland’s already challenging reception at the Emirates. The Norwegian striker, who had been booed by Arsenal fans before and during the game, was determined to remind the Gunners of his past successes. Haaland’s gesture, pointing to his winners’ badge, seemed to be a direct response to Arsenal’s frustration of falling short to City’s dominance in recent years. At present, Arsenal is six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, with memories of last season’s near-miss still fresh in their minds.
Haaland Scored Though
Despite the tensions, Haaland did manage to find the back of the net in the 55th minute, equalizing for City with a header off a cross from Savinho. However, Arsenal regained control shortly after, with Thomas Partey putting the hosts back in front, capitalizing on an error from Phil Foden.
As the match continued, further goals from Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri sealed the victory for the Gunners, while Myles Lewis-Skelly’s celebration—mimicking Haaland’s famous meditation pose—added another layer to the post-match drama.
Arsenal took the opportunity to mock Haaland after the final whistle, playing Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “HUMBLE” through the stadium sound system, a playful jab following Haaland’s previous comments telling Mikel Arteta to “stay humble.” While Arteta was asked about Lewis-Skelly’s celebration, he remained unfazed, stating, “I don’t know, I haven’t seen that and there’s nothing that I want to discuss about that. It’s down to the players, but they know my view on it. We have to focus on us.” The Arsenal manager emphasized the need to focus on the team’s goals rather than getting caught up in any drama or distractions from their rivals.
