Erling Haaland will be the villain at the Emirates Stadium and that role may suit him | OneFootball

The last time Manchester City and Arsenal met, they played out a 2-all draw at the Etihad, which was full of talking points. Several of those involved Erling Haaland. City’s number 9 famously told Mikel Arteta to stay humble after the final whistle at the Etihad. He also threw the ball at the head of Arsenal defender Gabriel following John Stones’ dramatic late equaliser. It is expected that Haaland will be the villain of Sunday’s fixture for the Arsenal fans. But that role may suit him as he looks to fire his team to victory on Sunday.

There is little doubt that Erling Haaland will be ready for the hostile reception that will likely await him at the Emirates on Sunday. There isn’t a lot that surprises or phases Haaland. He will be focused on what he has to do to help him team win against Arsenal. But you do get the impression that playing the villain could suit City’s number 9.

We have seen it time and time again in football that the player tagged the villain by opposing fans can come back and bite them. Erling Haaland has all of the attributes to be one of those players. He is the best striker in world football and if he is even more motivated than he usually is that could be a dangerous recipe for Arsenal. Of course Haaland will be reliant on service form his teammates, but if he enters Sunday’s match and the expected hostile reception he will likely receive fires him up Mikel Arteta’s side may have a problem on their hands.

It would be a surprise if Erling Haaland didn’t receive a hostile reception from the Arsenal fans on Sunday. The storylines from the last meeting between the two teams are likely to carry over. It will be an interesting subplot to watch for in a game between two teams who have battled it out for the past two Premier League titles. But you get the sense that it could be a setting that Haaland is built to thrive in. If he does he could well swing the game in Manchester City’s favour.