Is Erling Haaland going to be banned? FA decision on Man City star throwing ball at Gabriel

The FA have announced why Manchester City's Erling Haaland will not receive a ban for throwing a ball at the head of Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

The incident occurred after the Norwegian's team-mate John Stones scored a late equaliser in Sunday's (September 22) thrilling clash at the Etihad Stadium. The striker was once again in the spotlight during the pivotal match against Arsenal.

Haaland bagged the first goal of the game, celebrating his monumental 100th goal for the Premier League title-holders.

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Dealing with tough opposition from William Saliba and Gabriel throughout the game, a stunning defeat at home almost befell Manchester City. However, Stones' goal in the 98th minute dashed any hopes of a first win at the Etihad Stadium since 2015 for the Gunners.

Following the equaliser, an animated Haaland picked up the ball from David Raya's net and launched it at the back of Gabriel's head, who had just raised his shirt over his face in frustration at conceding the goal.

The incident set off a heated confrontation between players, leading to scenes of disagreement that persisted even after the final whistle, reports the Mirror. A clip of Haaland approaching Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with a provoking three-word taunt "stay humble eh" has since gone viral across social media.

There was also a clash of words between former City player Gabriel Jesus and Haaland, which led to the two being separated by their team-mates.

Despite early indications suggesting that Haaland might be retrospectively banned for his behaviour, particularly for the ball-throwing incident, The Football Association stated on Monday (23 September) that no disciplinary action would be taken against the 24-year-old.

The FA were unable to intervene as the incident involving Haaland had already been reviewed by VAR official, John Brooks, who deemed that the striker's actions did not constitute violent conduct. As such, Haaland was not deemed deserving of a straight red card and VAR is not permitted to suggest a yellow card.

Furthermore, both Manchester City and Arsenal avoided any disciplinary action for their post-match antics. The FA's disciplinary team concluded that there was no specific incident during Sunday's match, either on the pitch or the touchline, that required additional action from the football authority.

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