Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was seen on the pitch on Sunday engaged in an interaction with Erling Haaland and one Arsenal star.
Tempers flared at times as Arsenal held Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Whilst the hosts enjoyed far more of the ball throughout the match, they were able to create very few goalscoring opportunities as the Gunners defended deep and diligently.
In the heart of the Arsenal rearguard, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes worked together brilliantly to expertly marshal Erling Haaland and neutralise the threat posed by the Norwegian superstar striker. The Manchester City hitman did not manage a single shot on target during the match, as per WhoScored statistics.
How Arsenal handled Erling Haaland
Just as he was at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the campaign, Haaland was rendered largely ineffective by the attentions of the Gunners’ centre-backs. Gabriel and Saliba have previously been hailed as the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League, and the duo underlined their credentials for this title with their display in the north west.
Gabriel, in particular, got stuck into the physical battle against the forward. The Brazilian is always eager to compete in duels, and he never let Haaland get the better of him physically. At times, as the pair tussled and competed throughout the match, this duel led to crossed words and angry exchanges.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola seen taking action to prevent Gabriel Magalhaes brawl
After the full-time whistle, Gabriel and Haaland continued to engage in their fiery exchange on the pitch. The Sky Sports cameras (31/03/24, 18:25) spotted Pep Guardiola taking to the field to step between the two and separate them. The Manchester City boss was seen pushing Haaland and Jack Grealish away from the fired-up Arsenal man. The manager was clearly keen to prevent the situation from escalating.
Mikel Arteta will likely have had no issue at all with the intensity of Gabriel’s duel with Haaland. Ultimately, the defender came out on top on the pitch, and alongside Saliba put in another superb display, ensuring that Arsenal kept a clean sheet and earned their first point against Manchester City on the road in the Premier League since 2016.
Whilst the Gunners weren’t at their free-flowing best going forwards, they were rock-solid at the back on Sunday. The Arsenal defence has been exceptional in general this season, and if the north London outfit are now to go on to be crowned champions then their consistency and quality at the back will have provided the foundation for that success.