Erling Haaland insists Pep Guardiola’s decision to bring him off versus Wolves was not the reason for his tantrum in Manchester City’s 5-1 win last weekend.
The Norwegian struck four times against Gary O’Neil’s lacklustre Wolves team to take his goal tally to 25 in the Premier League this season, moving him clear of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer – his former team-mate at the Etihad.
Haaland was denied the chance to increase that number as he was replaced by Julian Alvarez in the 82nd minute and the forward appeared less than impressed as he exchanged words with Guardiola on the touchline.
The former Borussia Dortmund star then proceeded to throw a piece of strapping to the floor in anger as he took his place on the substitutes bench, with a bemused Sergio Gomez looking on beside him in Manchester.
Speaking after City’s victory, Guardiola played down the significance of Haaland’s strop and suggested the striker was simply upset with the number of fouls that had gone unpunished in the game.
However, Roy Keane went on to criticise Haaland over his behaviour, branding the Premier League’s top scorer a ‘spoilt brat’ while comparing the incident to Mohamed Salah’s clash with Jurgen Klopp last month.
‘We saw Haaland yesterday being brought off, not too happy, behaving like a spoilt brat, but because they win the game and he scores goals it’s almost forgotten about,’ the legendary ex-Manchester United captain said on Sky Sports.
‘I think because the results haven’t been going Liverpool’s way, that’s highlighted. But I fully expect Liverpool to turn up here today [against Tottenham], put in a good performance and let the manager leave in a few weeks on a high.’
Haaland had remained tight-lipped over this incident in the days that followed but, during a wide-ranging an interview with Men in Blazers, the Norwegian stressed that Guardiola’s decision to take him off was not the source of his frustration.
‘I wasn’t mad because of that. I was mad because of something completely different. It was nothing about that. I was super happy that Julian came on and scored as well,’ Haaland explained.
‘Of course I would love to score more goals but I wasn’t mad or anything about getting subbed off. I would never be
‘I’m happy for the guy that gets substituted for me, Julian, and that’s how it is.’
Keane has been one of Haaland’s most high-profile and vocal critics, likening the striker’s general play to that of a League Two player in the wake of City’s goalless draw with Arsenal earlier this season.
But Haaland says criticism is just ‘part of his life’ and he ‘doesn’t care’ what pundits have to say about him in the media.
‘There has always been this discussion on how many times I should touch the ball and when I score no one speaks about this. When I don’t score suddenly people start to mention my touches,’ the Norway international added.
‘This is a part of my life, this is how people will speak. I cannot control what people say about me.
‘I just have to focus on what I should do on the pitch and my job is not to be like Rodri, to control a game. It’s being in the box and up front for City, finishing the attacks and that’s my focus.
‘I don’t care about what people say or anything. It’s about focussing on helping the team to win.’
