Ian Wright goes in on 'coward' Erling Haaland as Arsenal hero incensed at striker

Arsenal hero Ian Wright has slammed Erling Haaland as a "coward" for hurling the ball at Gabriel's head during the tumultuous draw with Manchester City.

Haaland avoided any form of punishment for the incident, which occurred towards the end of the match after John Stones' equaliser, as VAR assessed but dismissed the action as not constituting violent conduct.

Premier League referee Michael Oliver did not issue a card at the time, and the Football Association will not pursue retrospective action post the fiery match that presented numerous contentious moments.

While this news brings considerable relief to Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who has also seen Rodri reportedly ruled out of the remainder of the season through injury, it hasn't dampened severe criticisms levelled at Haaland, especially in the wake of heated reactions from Arsenal fans online.

Wright, voicing his outrage on Instagram, expressed: "The one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland's coward's move. Throwing the ball at 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. That's what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you [Haaland] were bigger than that."

Despite the controversy, Haaland found the net first in the game, prior to Arsenal's comeback and near-seize of a victory that was thwarted when Stones equalised during stoppage time.

Haaland's stunning achievement of notching up his 100th goal for Manchester City in a mere 105 appearances has brought him on par with Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid record. Amidst the celebrations, Haaland also had a moment of tension with ex-City forward Gabriel Jesus and post-match, had some words of advice for Mikel Arteta, saying: "Stay humble".

In related Premier League drama, Sky Sports pundit Stephen Warnock didn't hold back his opinions when branding Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez a coward for his daring challenge during the goalless match at Crystal Palace.

Martinez, managing to escape any disciplinary measures, lucked out even though he tackled with studs visibly raised. Warnock was clear in his condemnation: "It's a coward's tackle.

"That's all it is. It's a cowardly tackle to go in and try to protect yourself. I just think I don't like it. The intent is there. I don't understand why you would make that challenge. He's very, very lucky."