Manchester City’s new signing responds to Haaland’s World Cup mockery
Haaland’s World Cup Taunt and Anderson’s Reply
Manchester City’s new signing, Elliot Anderson, has addressed comments made by teammate Erling Haaland on Instagram. Haaland had reportedly mocked Anderson following an incident at the recent World Cup, which took place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Norway, Haaland’s national team, was eliminated in the quarter-final stage after a 2-1 defeat by England.
Haaland’s social media post, captioned “Back to sunny Manchester!”, drew a fan’s comment asking him to “Say hi to Anderson for me”. Haaland’s response, “The diver?”, referred to Anderson.
Anderson confirmed he had seen the post, stating, “Yeah, it got round pretty widely. He was calling me a diver.” Despite the online exchange, Anderson indicated that there was no lingering animosity between them. He described Haaland’s comments as “funny” and added, “He was really good today and helped me settle in, he was completely honest with me, he’s a really good guy.” Both players were present for pre-season training.
World Cup Incident and Team Returns
The mockery from Haaland stemmed from a contentious moment during the World Cup quarter-final. With the score at 1-1, Norway briefly took the lead through Torbjørn Heggem, who scored from a corner rebound. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR after officials identified Haaland pushing Anderson to the ground. Some observers felt Anderson exaggerated the fall, while others suggested Anderson had initiated contact with Haaland.
Haaland himself described the VAR decision as “poor.” The incident reportedly caused considerable anger among the Norwegian public.
Manchester City acquired Anderson, an England international, for £116 million, with aspirations of reclaiming the Premier League title. Haaland, who won the Coca-Cola Premier League Golden Boot last season, returned to Manchester City training after scoring seven goals for Norway at the FIFA World Cup.
Other players have also returned to their respective Premier League clubs after their World Cup commitments. Chelsea welcomed back Enzo Fernandez, Malo Gusto, and Reece James, alongside new signings Morgan Rogers, Jordan Henderson, Valentin Barco, and Maxence Lacroix. Arsenal saw the return of Spanish World Cup winners Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi, as well as English players Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke. David Raya and Bukayo Saka also rejoined Arsenal last week.
Player Updates and Transfers
Several players have made headlines for reasons beyond their World Cup performances. Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool, for instance, initially teased a new hairstyle on Instagram before revealing a shaven head following a hair transplant surgery. Bukayo Saka of Arsenal showcased a braided haircut, while Dan Burn of Newcastle United returned with a slicked-back look.
In transfer news, Pep Chavarria has joined Chelsea from Rayo Vallecano, signing a five-year deal. The 28-year-old Spanish left-back made his top-flight debut at the age of 24 and expressed that joining Chelsea was a childhood goal. Meanwhile, Gustavo Hamer has rejoined Coventry City, having previously played for the club from 2020 to 2023. He scored 19 goals in 132 appearances during his previous stint before moving to Sheffield United.
Matthias Jaissle, the new manager for Newcastle, has already had a “special song” created by supporters, adapting lyrics from a 1977 hit. Crystal Palace defender Oscar Mingueza, who joined last month from Celta Vigo, surprised teammates with his piano skills. Additionally, Crystal Palace confirmed the return of forward Evann Guessand on a season-long loan from Aston Villa, with an option to buy, after he helped them win the UEFA Conference League last season.
Source: goal.com
