- A former FIFA referee has shed more light on why Erling Haaland’s winning goal against Arsenal should have been cancelled
- A new video angle has surfaced online, promoting debate over the buildup leading to the goal
- Haaland’s goal cemented a vital 2-1 win for Manchester City as they are three points behind
Former FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, has opined that Erling Haaland’s goal against Arsenal should have been disallowed.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, April 19, to dent their title chase. In the 16th minute, France international Rayan Cherki opened the scoring with a composed finish into the far corner.
Kai Havertz equalised just two minutes later after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted him the ball.
Source: Getty Images
Manchester City regained control in the 65th minute, with Erling Haaland firing past David Raya to score what proved to be the winner, per talkSPORTS.
Mikel Arteta’s side suffered their second consecutive Premier League loss, against Bournemouth and City, allowing the Citizens to close the gap to just three points.
Meanwhile, former Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland is currently ranking first among Premier League players for minutes per goal involvement (99) across all competitions this season, with 34 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances, per Transfermarkt.
Haaland has also become the second player to score in four consecutive Premier League matches against Arsenal, behind late Diogo Jota.
Why Haaland goal should be disallowed – Hackett
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma initiated a quick counter-attack with a long throw that found Nico O’Reilly in space. The midfielder linked up with Jérémy Doku, who returned the ball into the penalty area.
Doku then delivered a cut-back across goal, where Erling Haaland held off Gabriel Magalhães before finishing past David Raya.
However, former head of the referee’s body in England (PGMOL), Keith Hackett said Haaland prevented Gabriel Magalhaes from defending the ball.
Read also
Arsenal fans turn on Kai Havertz as Manchester City hand Gunners another narrow 2-1 defeat
According to GiveMeSport, the former FIFA referee said the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have spotted the infringement.
Hackett argues that the incident should have resulted in a foul being awarded to Arsenal. He said:
“Clearly, this holding offence by Haaland impacted on the Arsenal player’s ability to defend the ball going into the net.
“It may not have been seen by the referee, but it should have been identified by VAR. The goal should have been ruled out and a free-kick awarded to Arsenal. It’s surprising that it was missed.”
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, a fan quoted a section of the Premier League guideline to counter Kackett’s position.
@PBalian11 said:
“On this very incident: Premier League refereeing guidelines for 2025/26 (and consistent with prior seasons) explicitly state:
“Mutual holding – where both players are engaged in simultaneous and similar actions (grappling, shirt-pulling, arm use) is usually not penalised. Play on is the preferred outcome.
“The referee and the VAR were correct in not disallowing the goal.”
PL issues statement on Gabriel
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Premier League has issued a strong statement after Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes controversially escaped a straight red card for a headbutt on Manchester City forward Erling Haaland.
Referee Anthony Taylor chose not to issue a red card to the Brazilian, instead booking both Gabriel Magalhães and Erling Haaland, despite the incident being reviewed by VAR official John Brooks.
Source: Legit.ng
