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

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

An announcement 2-1 victory on the Etihad steered Manchester City to inside three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal, with Haaland outmuscling Gabriel to attain the decisive goal after earlier efforts from Rayan Cherki and Kai Havertz.

City, who’ve a game in hand over the Gunners, will go top in the event that they get the higher of relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

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

Tensions bubbled over within the 84th minute when the pair squared up to one another following a sturdy aerial duel, with Gabriel proceeding to throw his brow into the Norwegian’s face with some force.

Nevertheless, Gabriel managed to avoid getting sent off by referee Anthony Taylor, who as an alternative decided to point out each players a yellow card for his or her behaviour.

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

‘I believe most agree with me. If I am going down like several other guy, it’s a red card. It’s not something I’d do. My father taught me to remain in your feet.

‘That’s the fact. Should I actually have gone down? Perhaps. Then it could’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 response in the warmth of the moment.

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

This is able to have seen the Brazilian miss the Gunners’ upcoming games against Newcastle, Fulham and West Ham.

‘I believe Erling Haaland has kept Arsenal within the title race by not taking place,’ Sherwood explained.

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

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

‘If that’s the opposite way around, I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I believe Gabriel might need hit the ground 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 3 games within the run-in, that may have been the top of their title race.

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

Based on Sherwood, Haaland had ‘every right to hit the ground’ after the approaching along with Gabriel.

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

‘It’s a tragic indictment of how the sport is getting refereed. We’d like to stamp down on this.

‘Within the penalty area, if you happen to don’t go down then you definately don’t get a penalty. I don’t agree with no contact and taking place but he’s got every right to hit the ground.

‘It wasn’t force to knock him to the ground, he’s an enormous man, Erling, but when he hits the deck there, Gabriel, one in all the highest players that Arsenal have gotten, will get suspended for 3 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 believe Manchester City have gotten the tougher run-in, I actually do,’ he went on.

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

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

‘The momentum is with Manchester City, after all it’s, but I used to be impressed with Arsenal yesterday, I assumed they need to have gotten a draw out of the sport.

‘You see the probabilities at the top, it’s a straightforward header for Kai Havertz and he has to attain. If he scores that it’s over.’

The ex-Blackburn Rovers midfielder, who won the Premier League title in 1995, added: ‘I checked out 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 believe they may just pip City.’

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