At a Glance:
- Erling Haaland gave his thoughts on Arsenal as a side.
- Haaland responded to whether there is tension between Manchester City and Arsenal.
- Pep Guardiola’s star man is looking forward to Sunday’s clash.
Erling Haaland has been at the front and centre of Manchester City’s recent battles against Arsenal; a contest that is slowly and surely growing into a rivalry between both clubs.
Haaland and Gabriel Magalhaes’ back-and-forths are becoming the stuff of legends, with the former famously throwing a ball at the Brazilian’s head after City’s late goal in the 2-2 draw between both sides last season.
On Sunday, Arsenal will have the tough task of keeping the Norwegian quiet, who has cemented his status as one of the deadliest strikers in world football for several years.
Ahead of the blockbuster clash at the Etihad Stadium, Haaland previewed the game while speaking to Sky Sports.
Erling Haaland calls Arsenal ‘one of the best teams in Europe’
The two-time Premier League winner was initially quizzed about whether Manchester City and Arsenal are rivals nowadays.
Haaland replied: “I don’t know if there’s any friction. They want to win, we want to win.”
"I don't know if there's any friction…" 😮 pic.twitter.com/2Ka6XYxJuT
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 17, 2026
The 25-year-old went on to rave about Arsenal as a team, saying: “And yeah, in the end, it’s nice and it’s always good to play against the best teams.”
Haaland added: “They are in the semi-finals of the Champions League, that means they’re one of the best teams in Europe, they’re the first place in the Premier League, they’ve been that the whole season so they are without a doubt one of the best teams in Europe at the moment.”
Erling Haaland record vs Arsenal for Man City
The decorated marksman has faced Arsenal on 10 occasions since becoming a Manchester City player in 2022.
- Matches: 10
- Wins: 4
- Draws: 3
- Losses: 3
- Goals: 5
- Assists: 2
Haaland has won four while drawing and losing three games apiece against the Gunners, however, one of the defeats occurred during the FA Community Shield in 2023.
With five goals and two assists to his name in 10 appearances against Arsenal, Haaland will be desperate to improve his tally of goal contributions against the Gunners and lead Manchester City to victory.
