Gabriel Magalhaes couldn’t help but aim a subtle dig at Erling Haaland in the aftermath of Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning celebrations.
The Gunners finally ended their 22-year wait to be crowned champions earlier this week when City failed to beat Bournemouth and take the race to the final day.
It meant Arsenal could afford to enjoy a pressure free afternoon at Selhurst Park on Sunday and rest a number of players who are certain to start this weekend’s Champions League final against PSG in Budapest.
Gabriel, one of Arsenal’s defensive linchpins, came on at the start of the second half and helped Mikel Arteta’s men close out their domestic campaign with a 2-1 victory.
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The Brazil international played a lead role in the post coronation party, orchestrating the chants the bellowed out from the away end that housed 2,000 or so lucky fans.
A feelgood factor that has engulfed the red half of north London continued well into the night and Gabriel was clearly still in high spirits when he took to TikTok on Monday afternoon.
Posting a picture of himself holding the trophy he has coveted for so long may have looked relatively innocuous, but the choice of song that accompanied the post carried major significance.
After City appeared to have taken a major step towards overhauling Arsenal following their 2-1 victory at the Etihad last month, Haaland took the opportunity to indulge in a spot of gloating, singing ‘sometimes I get a good feeling’ down the camera lens’, encapsulating the sense that the Gunners were set to fade away in the run-in once again.
As it transpired, it was Pep Guardiola’s squad that failed to last the pace, and Gabriel was quick to remind a player he has shared an increasingly enduring rivalry with he had celebrated too soon by posting the chorus to Flo Rida’s iconic dance hit.
Haaland was an unused substitute, meanwhile, as City ended their season with a 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa which brought the curtain down on Pep Guardiola’s trophy-laden 10-year reign.
Haaland, who finished as the Golden Boot winner for the third time, took his tally to 27 with a late equaliser that ultimately meant nothing in the 1-1 draw with the Cherries, after which he magnanimously congratulated Arsenal on their accomplishment.
He wrote on X: ‘Not the ending we hoped for, but we’ll use this feeling the right way next season.
‘To every City fan who travelled with us this season, thank you.
‘Congrats to Arsenal for the title.’