Could Erling Haaland be in hot water for his furious outburst at referee Simon Hopper at the end of City’s 3-all draw with Tottenham?
The Norway forward was incensed with Hooper after being denied the opportunity to play an advantage in the closing moments of a thrilling Premier League match at Etihad Stadium.
Haaland was one of several City players to remonstrate with the official and he continued his protests after the game by reposting a clip of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, with the comment “Wtf”, which is offensive slang.
The incident that angered City happened when Haaland was fouled in the fifth minute of stoppage time, managing to regain his footing to swivel and send Jack Grealish clear.
Hooper initially appeared to acknowledge the infringement and wave play on, but then blew his whistle to pull play back for a City free-kick.
It was a strange decision by the referee at the end of an enthralling contest between the two sides.
“His reaction was normal,” said City manager Pep Guardiola. “Even the referee, if he played for Manchester City, would be disappointed for that action.
“It is hard when you review the image. The referee decides to blow the whistle after he has already said to play on. After the pass, the whistle, so I do not understand this action. I will not do a Mikel Arteta comment.”
Haaland could face a misconduct charge from the FA for the post and his post-game reaction as he left the pitch. While Haaland has every right to feel aggrieved, his reaction may draw heat from the FA.
The possibility of the Norwegian facing a charge from the FA could become something to watch for in the coming days.
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