Erling Haaland took to social media and seemingly sent a message to rival fans after Manchester City beat Liverpool in their first game since being found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.
City dominated the last 20 minutes of the game following Ryan Gravenberch’s sending off for a second bookable offence. Haaland opened the scoring before Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki also struck to ensure their side maintained their perfect start to the season.
There’s been nothing perfect about City’s ongoing case off-the-field and Liverpool fans made their anger known throughout. Every time one of Maresca’s players got on the ball, they were booed and the Kop directed several chants at their opposition’s potential punishments.
Erling Haaland’s Social Media Post Causes a Stir
REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Haaland wasn’t put off by the noise made by the home crowd and it took just one emoji on a social media post for him to infuriate those calling for City to be heavily punished for financial breaches. He uploaded an image of himself celebrating at Anfield and included an emoticon of a kissing face.
Liverpool, Manchester United fans and supporters of other clubs opposing City replied with furious responses. Some pointed out the possibility of Haaland’s club being relegated, some complained about Gravenerch’s sending off, while others referenced the reported £52 million fee paid for the Norwegian, which has been questioned amid the ongoing legal case.
Haaland did have words for the Anfield atmosphere after the game and he downplayed its significance. He told Sky Sports: “Not really. It’s always tough to come here in the Pep and Klopp era. It’s time to stay strong and stick together and do what you can do something about, that is to play good football and to fight together because in the end, that’s the only thing we can do.”
The 26-year-old added: “It was a lovely moment that will stay with us a long time.”
Haaland’s father Alf Inge was in the City end for today’s game and celebrated with the visiting supporters after his son’s opener. Around him were individuals holding inflatable bananas and many producing the club’s trademark Poznan celebration.
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Haaland Dealt With Liverpool Fan Chants
REUTERS/Phil Noble
With City controlling the game in the latter stages, Liverpool fans no longer focused on the match but rather the situation unfolding behind-the-scenes at the Etihad Stadium. The club have lodged an appeal against the independent commission’s verdict and a new three-person committee will be assigned to make a final decision.
This was the first match since the guilty verdicts dropped, and it may be the first of many where fans voice their anger. Every time Enzo Maresca’s men passed the ball in the dying embers, the Kop chanted ‘cheat’ and that’s just one of a list of chants.
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Other chants included “you cheating b*****ds you know what you are” and one directed at Manchester being “full of s**t.” Such chanting didn’t prevent Haaland and his teammates from making it six wins in a row at the start of Maresca’s reign since the Italian succeeded Pep Guardiola.