'I gave them a little bit!' Erling Haaland revels in Man United fans' fury after controversial derby winner
The Norwegian scored the only goal of the game on Sunday as Manchester City won 1-0
Erling Haaland claims giving the Manchester United fans “a little bit” was part of the fun after his controversial but record-breaking derby winner.
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The Norwegian scored the only goal of an eventful encounter at Old Trafford on Sunday as Manchester City edged out their rivals 1-0.
His strike on the hour was initially disallowed for offside, only for that decision to be incorrectly overturned following a lengthy VAR review.
United later received an apology for the VAR mistake but by then Haaland’s goal was already in the record books.
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It was the 26-year-old’s ninth in a Premier League Manchester derby fixture, one more than Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney.
He celebrated exuberantly after the game, letting out a loud scream and shaking his head in the direction of United fans as he headed back to the dressing room.
Haaland said: “I knew about this record before, I read about it, so it had ended up in my head. I’m super proud of that.
“This is something that makes me really, really happy because we all know how special this game is.
“Ever since I came to Manchester, they gave me a little bit, I give them a little bit. But, when it comes to the thing, it’s about having some banter and enjoying the love of the game and fighting for your team.
“I think this game, since I made my debut at the Etihad against Manchester United, has always been special.”
Haaland’s goal on the hour came after Enzo Fernandez was deemed not to have interfered with play despite being in an offside position and appearing to impact defender Lisandro Martinez.
Haaland preferred to focus on City’s character after they played with 10 men following Phil Foden’s 23rd-minute dismissal.
He said: “It’s not easy with 10 men at Old Trafford, but we managed to fight for each other and show amazing character and personality. So, I’m super proud of everyone.
“To be able to keep the ball at Old Trafford with 10 men, to still want to play to a certain degree, we had to change a lot – this is something that I love.
“We had to adapt and we adapted well and we were solid.”