Erling Haaland has announced changes to his Instagram handle days after he clashed with Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta and the club’s players following a Premier League game.
The Norwegian forward stoked reactions with an x-rated post-match reaction after Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
He scored the opening goal in the game, flooring David Raya with a sleek left-footed low shot into the bottom-right corner of the post.
The goal – his 10th in five matches this season – saw Haaland set a new record as the fastest Premier League player to reach that tally in fewer games.
However, a few minutes later, the lead was cancelled by Riccardo Calafiori’s stunning outside-of-the-box strike in the 22nd minute.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes completed a stunning first-half comeback for the Gunners. The Brazilian headed home Bukayo Saka’s corner-kick in the 45+1st minute. Magalhaes’ header saw Arsenal go into the break with a 2-1 lead, neutralizing Haaland’s early goal for the Blues.
City ramped up attempts to find an equalizer against a 10-man Arsenal after Leandro Trossard was sent off. Arsenal’s tough defence, filled with all outfield players, proved difficult to break.
It took late substitute John Stones to break the deadlock at the last kick of the ball. The England defender tucked home a rebound to rescue a point for City in the match.
Erling Haaland’s furious reaction after the match
Erling Haaland was disappointed with the outcome of the game. After the match, he was seen in a furious exchange with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. A footage shared on social media showed the footballer furiously telling the Arsenal manager to “stay humble.”
“Stay humble eh, stay humble,” he told the former City assistant boss.
Also, he clashed with Arsenal’s 17-year-old starlet Lewis-Skelly saying, “Who the f*ck are you’?” And then turned to face Jakub Kiwior in another bust-up.
Attacking midfielder Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Magalhaes were among Arsenal players whom Erling Haaland clashed with after the match.
To many, Erling Haaland shouldn’t have stooped so low, eschewing class and sportsmanship. He crossed the lines of professionalism barking at his opponents after the match.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed both the Norway international and Arsenal players who were involved in the post-match row would not be penalized by the Premier League.
Erling Haaland changes Instagram handle after Arsenal bust-up
A few days after the infamous post-match reaction, Haaland took to his Instagram story to announce he had changed the name of his handle.
He wrote, “Hey guys, I have changed my @ on IG. In: @erling. Out: @erling.haaland.”
The footballer has 39 million followers on Instagram. He regularly treats his followers with premium football contents, including his life off-the-field.
After an apparently disappointing day during the Arsenal match, he appeared to have buried the x-rated post-match reaction, returning to update his fans on the twig to his IG handle.
This shows his intentionality to continue engaging his fans on the platform and building his audience. Notably, Haaland poses a starkly different personality on social media from the stern, feared and impassioned striker on the football field.
In June 2024, he jokingly scolded his pedantic followers after they spotted him misspelling ‘Orlando’ as ‘Ornaldo.’ Reacting to the correction, he described them as ‘perfect brothers and sisters.’
Erling Haaland’s terrific start to the 2024-25 season
Erling Haaland has been the biggest talking point with just five games into the season. He scored his 10th Premier League goal this season in the match. The goal was also his 100th for Manchester City in his 105th match, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for Real Madrid in 2011.
He will return to action for Manchester City in the midweek EFL Cup clash against Watford on September 24, 2024.
