Former Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has suggested that Erling Haaland may have played an unexpected role in keeping Arsenal’s Premier League hopes alive during Manchester City’s 2-1 victory on Sunday.
Haaland scored the decisive goal as City secured all three points, closing the gap to just three points behind the league leaders.
Throughout the match, the Norwegian striker was involved in a physical battle with Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães, with both players competing aggressively for dominance.
One of the game’s most talked-about moments came late on, when tensions boiled over in the 84th minute. Following a challenge, the two players squared up, and Gabriel appeared to make head contact with Haaland.
Despite the confrontation, referee Anthony Taylor opted to caution both players rather than issue a dismissal.
According to Sherwood, the outcome could have been very different if Haaland had reacted by going to ground, which might have prompted a red card for the Arsenal defender.
“I think Erling Haaland has kept Arsenal in the title race by not going down,” Sherwood said.
“If he goes down, he gets sent off, 100 per cent.
“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.”
A red card for Gabriel would have resulted in a three-match suspension, ruling him out of crucial fixtures against Newcastle, Fulham, and West Ham—games that could significantly shape Arsenal’s title challenge.
