Erling Haaland hits back with the coldest response when asked if he regrets controversial Gabriel moment during Arsenal clash

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has delivered a no-nonsense response after being asked if he regrets throwing a ball at Gabriel's head.

On the evening of September 22, City and Arsenal played out a bad-tempered affair at the Etihad as John Stones and Bernardo Silva accused their opponents of using "dirty" tactics.

Only one team came to play football in Manchester, according to Silva, who said the other "came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee."

An incident that summed up the heated events was Haaland throwing a ball at Gabriel's head.

At one stage, it looked like Arsenal would take home three points but a last-gasp equaliser from John Stones handed the home side what could be a crucial point in the Premier League title race.

Moments after Stones' goal in the dying embers, Haaland chucked the ball at Gabriel as he celebrated; something that became a huge talking point in the aftermath.

In his post-match interview, Gabriel played down the incident. "It's a battle, a war and provocation is normal in football," he said. "Now it's over and we're waiting for them at our house."

Asked whether he felt the ball strike his head, the Brazilian added: "No, I don’t remember it. I don’t remember it. It’s normal."

Now, more than two weeks after the game, Haaland has finally spoken. Speaking at a press conference ahead of Norway's Nations League clash against Slovenia on Thursday, the 24-year-old gave his take on the incident.

"In the heat of the moment things happened in that game," he said. "What happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch. That’s how it is."

When asked if he regretted the incident, Haaland replied: "I don’t regret much in life."

Image credit: Getty

Haaland recently thanked Manchester City and the club’s fans for their support, a fortnight after Arsenal striker Ian Wright was highly critical of the Norwegian for what he did to Gabriel in stoppage time.

In fact, he labelled the striker a "coward" in a video on Instagram.

"I just felt like I needed to put something out there which has been bothering me,’"Wright said. "The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move, bro. I saw it this morning properly.

"Throwing the ball in Gabi’s head when he’s not looking. When Gabi’s back’s turned to him. Real coward’s move.

"Gabi would look him in the eye, you know. I’m looking at this as a really good defender vs striker for the years to come, them two. I love watching them two. And then you’re doing a coward’s move like that?

"That’s what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you was bigger than that, bro. I thought you was bigger than that."