Tim Sherwood names player who ‘kept Arsenal in title race’ in Man City defeat

Tim Sherwood claims Erling Haaland kept Arsenal’s title hopes alive by staying on his feet after clashing heads with Gabriel Magalhaes on Sunday.

A statement 2-1 victory at the Etihad steered Manchester City to within three points of Arsenal, with Haaland outmuscling Gabriel to score the decisive goal after earlier efforts from Rayan Cherki and Kai Havertz.

City, who have a game in hand over the Gunners, will go top if they get the better of relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

Tempers flared on several of occasions in the top-of-the-table contest and it came as no surprise to see Haaland and Gabriel renew their long-running rivalry in Manchester.

This came to a head in the 84th minute when the pair squared up to each other following a robust aerial duel, with Gabriel proceeding to throw his forehead into the Norwegian’s face with some force.

However, Gabriel managed to avoid getting sent off by referee Anthony Taylor, who instead decided to show both players a yellow card for their behaviour.

‘I think it’s a red card [for Gabriel],’ Haaland said of the incident shortly after the final whistle.

‘I think most agree with me. If I go down like any other guy, it’s a red card. It’s not something I would do. My father taught me to stay on your feet.

‘That’s the reality. Should I have gone down? Maybe. Then it would’ve been easier.

‘But I didn’t and I got a yellow card. I don’t know why.’

Haaland has been widely praised for refusing to hit the deck after replays clearly showed the Arsenal defender leaning his head into the City centre-forward.

Dissecting the incident on Sky Sports, ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood said the Norway international deserved great ‘credit’ for his lack of reaction in the heat of the moment.

However, Sherwood felt Haaland inadvertently kept Arsenal in the title race by ensuring Gabriel avoided a three-match suspension which would have come his way with a straight red card.

‘I think Erling Haaland has kept Arsenal in the title race by not going down,’ Sherwood explained.

‘If he goes down, he gets sent off, 100 per cent.

‘I like the fact he doesn’t go down, we’ve obviously got to give credit to Alfie, his dad, he said his dad told him never to go down, so he wouldn’t roll around on the floor. That’s old school.

‘If that’s the other way around, I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I think Gabriel might have hit the floor and got Erling sent off.

‘Gabriel has been so good this season, him and Declan Rice have been the outstanding players for Arsenal, and to miss him for three games in the run-in, that would have been the end of their title race.

‘Erling Haaland, by staying on his feet, and credit to him for that, but he’s kept Arsenal in it.’

According to Sherwood, Haaland had ‘every right to hit the floor’ after the coming together with Gabriel.

‘It’s finished [if Gabriel got sent off], you might as well put the ribbons on the trophy. It’s done,’ he continued.

‘It’s a sad indictment of how the game is getting refereed. We need to stamp down on this.

‘In the penalty area, if you don’t go down then you don’t get a penalty. I don’t agree with no contact and going down but he’s got every right to hit the floor.

‘It wasn’t force to knock him to the floor, he’s a big man, Erling, but if he hits the deck there, Gabriel, one of the top players that Arsenal have got, will get suspended for three games.

‘He’s the leader of that group so their season would have been over.’

Despite Arsenal’s crushing defeat, Sherwood is confident Mikel Arteta’s men will bounce back and go on to beat City to the Premier League title this season.

‘I still think Arsenal are going to win it. I just think there are enough dropped points there, tough games, I think Manchester City have got the tougher run-in, I really do,’ he went on.

‘Now the pressure’s off. It’s like a boxing match where you know it’s lost. You’re winning on points and you need to start throwing haymakers and I think that’s what Arsenal need to do now.

‘I think the pressure of being up there has taken it’s toll, it took it’s toll on a couple of occasions now, they’ve finished runners-up on three occasions.

‘The momentum is with Manchester City, of course it is, but I was impressed with Arsenal yesterday, I thought they should have got a draw out of the game.

‘You see the chances at the end, it’s an easy header for Kai Havertz and he has to score. If he scores that it’s over.’

The ex-Blackburn Rovers midfielder, who won the Premier League title in 1995, added: ‘I looked at the fixtures this morning and I just feel like there’s some tough games there for City.

‘There are tough games for Arsenal also but I think they might just pip City.’

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