February 8th 2025.
Erling Haaland's recent remarks to Mikel Arteta have caused quite a stir at Arsenal. The tension between the two clubs has reached a boiling point, with no signs of slowing down. Even Arsenal legend Alan Smith has weighed in on the matter, urging Haaland's father to "get back in his box" after his harsh criticism of Myles Lewis-Skelly's celebration during last Sunday's Premier League clash.
The 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly has faced heavy backlash for imitating Haaland's signature celebration after scoring his first goal for the club, which put them ahead 3-1. This comes after Haaland himself caused a stir earlier this season when he threw the ball at Gabriel's head and called Gabriel Jesus a clown, urging Arteta to "stay humble" after their match against Manchester City.
While Arsenal gained a bit of revenge with their win last week, Haaland's father took offense to the mocking of his son and reminded Arsenal of their lack of recent trophies. Smith, a two-time Golden Boot winner under George Graham, fired back at Haaland's father by pointing out his own lack of success during his time in England. He also saw nothing wrong with Lewis-Skelly's celebration and found it amusing.
However, the Premier League has now stepped in, stating that they will monitor future goal celebrations and may take disciplinary action if they cross the line into mockery or criticism. Tony Scholes, the Premier League's chief football officer, stressed the importance of finding a balance between entertaining celebrations and disrespectful ones.
With Arsenal now out of the FA Cup, the only chance for these two teams to meet again this season would be in Europe, if Manchester City can knock out Real Madrid in the Champions League. When asked if he would encourage his players to retaliate in a similar manner when they face Arsenal again, City manager Pep Guardiola dismissed the idea and emphasized the need to move on from the incident.
"It has happened," he stated. "Maybe we'll see them again in the Champions League this season, or else it will have to wait until next season. Our focus now is on trying to beat them in the future, as we were unable to do so in our previous matches this season. In the grand scheme of things, this is not something we should be overly concerned about."
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