Premier League icon Alan Shearer ‘loved’ Erling Haaland’s reaction to being subbed (Picture: Getty)
Alan Shearer has hit back after Roy Keane labelled Erling Haaland a ‘spoilt brat’ in the wake of Manchester City’s 5-1 defeat of Wolves, claiming he ‘loved’ the striker’s tantrum and would have reacted the same to being substituted.
Haaland has come in for some criticism in recent weeks despite continuing to break records in a City shirt, but the 23-year-old silenced his doubters with four goals in the champions’ rampant victory over Wolves last weekend.
The Norwegian’s exploits at the Etihad took him four clear (25) of Cole Palmer (21) at the top of the Premier League’s goalscoring charts. However, ex-Manchester United captain Keane was less than impressed with his behaviour as he was replaced by Julian Alvarez in the 82nd minute.
Pep Guardiola tried to calm Haaland down as the pair exchanged words on the touchline but the forward was clearly still seething as he took up his place on the bench, where he proceeded to throw a piece of strapping to the ground in anger.
Keane, who had previously likened Haaland’s general play to that of League Two player, accused the attacker of childish petulance while comparing the incident to Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp’s clash at Liverpool.
‘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,’ Keane said on Sky Sports the following day.
‘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.’
Speaking after City’s win, Guardiola played down the significance of Haaland’s tantrum and suggested the Norway international was simply upset with the number of fouls that had gone unpunished in the game.
Alan Shearer, meanwhile, told The Rest Is Football podcast: ‘I loved it. I loved it! Why shouldn’t he be fuming? So he should be fuming.
‘I would be fuming, I would be absolutely raging. You’re on four goals and you’ve got ten or 15 minutes left and he [Guardiola] takes you off… no, I would be exactly the same as him.
‘He’s on a high, he’s flying, he hasn’t scored goals for a while, he’s had criticism. And he’s got four, he’s back in the groove… yeah, I would be exactly the same.’
Shearer has ‘no issue or problem’ with Haaland’s behaviour at the Etihad (Picture: Getty)
Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time record scorer, said he had ‘no issue or problem’ with the incident and expects both Haaland and Guardiola will already have moved on from their exchange.
‘I loved it. I’ve got no issue or problem with that at all. I get how he feels,’ the former Newcastle and England striker added.
‘I understand why the manager wants to do it and I understand that the manager will have had a word with him in the changing room and there will be no issue whatsoever between the two of them. But I liked his reaction.’
Keane branded Haaland a ‘spoilt brat’ after his tantrum against Wolves (Picture: Getty)
Asked whether Haaland’s clash with Guardiola was different to Salah’s bust-up with Klopp, Shearer replied: ‘I think so, yeah.
‘There is a little bit of a difference because he’s [Salah] not on the pitch, he hasn’t been playing well, albeit still got a lot of goals by anyone else’s standards, Mo Salah.
‘There’s a slight difference, yeah.’
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Arsenal ensured they kept the pressure on City with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth – prior to City’s win over Wolves – and Shearer thinks the title race could go right to the wire.
‘I think in both games, both Arsenal and City, there was never any point in either of those games that I thought anything but victories for both Arsenal and City,’ he continued.
‘They were both pretty comfortable, I thought. There were a couple of decisions, particularly in the Arsenal game, but they battered them. It was only a matter of time before they got that goal because they created so many chances.
‘Both teams impressive. When you’re under huge pressure, as both teams are, and they were really good, both of them.’
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