Erling Haaland’s Outburst Highlights Controversial Referee Decision in City’s Draw with Tottenham

Social Media Critique and Pundit Disapproval Follow Late-Game Whistle that Denied City Advantage

Manchester, England: Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has taken to social media to express his frustration with referee Simon Hooper following a contentious decision during the dramatic 3-3 draw against Tottenham on Sunday. 

Haaland’s criticism comes after an incident in stoppage time that saw City denied an advantage in a thrilling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

In the match’s closing moments, Haaland was fouled but managed to regain his footing and swiftly send Jack Grealish clear. 

Initially acknowledging the infringement and signalling to play on, Hooper then controversially blew his whistle, pulling play back for a City free-kick. The decision triggered protests from City players and criticism from pundits.

Haaland, visibly incensed at the time of the decision, continued his protests on social media by reposting a clip of the incident on X (formerly Twitter) with the comment “Wtf,” which is considered offensive slang. 

The striker’s public expression of discontent adds a layer of scrutiny to the already controversial decision.

Pundits weighed in on the incident, with Jermaine Jenas expressing his disbelief on the BBC’s Match of the Day 2. “I think it is an absolute shocker. I really do,” he said. “I’m not sure what Simon Hooper is thinking. It’s clearly a mistake, but it is a monster of a mistake, in my opinion.”

Fellow former England midfielder Leon Osman acknowledged the mistake but also expressed a degree of sympathy. “It’s a huge mistake – there is no getting away from that with the technology we have, but I have a slight bit of sympathy. He held his hands up straight away,” Osman remarked.”

Despite Hooper immediately acknowledging the error, Jamie Carragher labelled it as the referee “just panicking,” while Roy Keane added, “It’s a poor call.” The consensus among pundits is that the decision significantly impacted the match’s outcome.

Initially deflecting questions about the incident, City manager Pep Guardiola offered his perspective. “Sometimes I lose my mind about the referees, but here, no. Always people can make mistakes,” Guardiola stated in a Match of the Day interview. 

He expressed surprise at the sequence of events, noting that the referee signalled to play on after Haaland went down and stood back up to make the pass. However, the subsequent whistle when the ball reached Jack Grealish left Guardiola bewildered.

Guardiola addressed Haaland’s animated response at full-time, stating that it was a normal reaction and consistent with the emotions of the entire team. 

“He’s a little bit disappointed,” Guardiola added, emphasizing that the disappointment extended to the referee, suggesting that even if he played for Manchester City, the official would be disappointed with the decision.

The manager concluded by stating that the draw was not solely due to the referee’s decision, signalling a desire to move on from the controversy. 

Nevertheless, the incident and Haaland’s social media critique will likely remain talking points in the aftermath of the pulsating encounter between Manchester City and Tottenham.

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members