'What is this?!' - Erling Haaland reacts to Gabriel headbutt as Man City striker claims he 'didn't do anything' to provoke Arsenal defender

The Man City talisman has opened up on the controversial moment when he was confronted by Arsenal defender Gabriel. During a tense second half, the Brazilian appeared to lean his head into Haaland’s face, an action that usually results in an immediate dismissal for violent conduct. However, the referee only produced a yellow card, leaving many observers questioning the leniency of the decision.

Speaking to Sky Sportsafter the final whistle, Haaland made it clear that he believes the outcome would have been different had he chosen to exaggerate the contact. The striker stated: "I think if I fell on the floor there, which I would not do unless someone really attacks me, I think maybe it would be a red card. I’m not sure. I haven’t seen the situation to be honest but it is what it is. I will not fall on the floor as easy as this. Yellow card for me, I don’t know why. He [Gabriel] comes up to my face, it is what it is."

Haaland's frustration extended to the nature of the confrontation itself and the referee's response to the incident. Showing his disbelief at the situation, he said to Viaplay: "Should I tell the referee? Doesn’t matter. Look at this, what is this?! [It’s not football], I know."

The 25-year-old also revealed referee Anthony Taylor’s explanation for the double booking: "He says it’s both [of our fault]. That’s what he says all the time," Haaland added. Despite the flare-up, the City man insisted he did nothing to bait his opponent. When asked if he had said anything to provoke the defender after scoring the winning goal, he replied: "No, I didn’t. I would never do something like that… Okay maybe sometimes! But no I didn’t do anything."

Despite the outcry from various pundits and the City camp, the VAR stood by the on-field decision made by the referee. Explaining the decision not to interfere, the Premier League noted that the contact did not meet the threshold for a sending-off based on the intensity of the physical contact. Indeed, the Match Centre Twitter account issued a statement confirming that the action from Gabriel was "deemed not to be excessively aggressive or violent."

The incident proved to be a mere footnote in a result that has massively altered the trajectory of the Premier League title race. By securing the 2-1 win at the Etihad, Man City have moved to within three points of Mikel Arteta's side, with the luxury of a game in hand still to come. The gap at the top is narrowing rapidly as the season enters its final stretch. City can move level at the summit if they navigate a tricky trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Wednesday. For Arsenal, the focus shifts to a mandatory three points against Newcastle at the Emirates next Saturday.