Erling Haaland faces possible disciplinary action after complaining to referee Simon Hooper on social media after Manchester City’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Tottenham.
The City striker was furious that he was denied the chance to take advantage of the final moments of a thrilling Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland was fouled but quickly got up to slot Jack Grealish into goal, but Hooper played back and gave him a free-kick.
Oh my God! https://t.co/E7GKDiTZAf
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 3, 2023
Haaland continued his protest by reposting a clip of the incident on his official Twitter account after the match with the caption: “Oh my god.”
The PA news agency contacted the Football Association regarding this matter.
Speaking to reporters after the game, manager Josep Guardiola said he was not aware of Haaland’s social media posts, but spoke about Haaland’s reaction on the field and admitted he understood the player’s anger.
Guardiola said: “That’s normal. His reaction was the same for 10 players. The rule is that you can’t talk to the referee or the referee, so today 10 players will be sent off. It was supposed to be.
“He’s a bit disappointed. Even the referee would be disappointed in what he did if he were playing for Man City today, that’s for sure.”
A match filled with mixed emotions. pic.twitter.com/GjZqzgrwpc
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 3, 2023
Guardiola sought to defuse criticism in a television interview, saying he did not want to make a “Mikel Arteta comment” in relation to the Arsenal manager’s controversial comments after last month’s game against Newcastle.
“I make mistakes, and the players make mistakes, too,” he said at a press conference.
“I was surprised when Erling went down and it was okay to whistle at that moment.
“But he got up and continued playing, and when the referee gestured to continue playing, and after he (Haaland) made the pass, he stopped the game. I don’t want to criticize him.
“Sometimes I lose my mind on the touchline and my gestures aren’t quite right, but having spent many years as a manager, I’m not one to comment when I’m feeling well.”
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 3, 2023
Son Heung-min scored at both ends before Phil Foden’s goal gave City a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Giovani Lo Celso equalized for Spurs, while Jack Grealish looked to have won City with a similar goal from Dejan Kulusevski in the 90th minute.
It was the third consecutive draw for the champions.
Coach Guardiola said, “This is not the first time we have faced this situation where we are playing well but not getting results. We always find a solution, but lately we have been struggling without getting results.”
With this result, Spurs ended their three-game losing streak.
Manager Ange Postecoglou said: “City may have surprised us and we certainly had plenty of chances.
“We gave up the ball a lot, but we persevered there.
“The effort of the players in the second half was great. City didn’t have complete control of the game, but we scored three quality goals, but you have to do that against a team like that. It must be done.”
At the end of the press conference, Postecoglou was asked if he thought the team might have “solved the case” regarding the Haaland incident.
“Yes, yes,” said the Australian.