Stay humble? Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly taunting Erling Haaland was raw, real and should be celebrated | OneFootball

Sunday’s showdown with Man City felt like a throwback to a spikier era and was the Premier League at its very best

There was a glorious level of needle to Arsenal’s meeting with Manchester City in north London last weekend, which cemented the fixture as the fiercest and most bitter rivalry in English football - and therefore appointment viewing for all supporters.

There are many elements of the match-up that make for a great rivalry, not least Mikel Arteta’s Darth Vader-like rejection of his former mentor, Pep Guardiola, for a seeming pursuit of glory via a different means.

It could not be clearer that the animosity between the two sides has become personal, best demonstrated by Gabriel and Lewis-Skelly settling their scores with Haaland, who had the last laugh following the clubs’ 2-2 draw in Manchester in September.

Lewis-Skelly settled a score with Haaland, who asked him ‘who are you?’ after Arsenal and Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad in September

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Gabriel evoked Martin Keown’s iconic goading of Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003 by yelling in Haaland’s face as Martin Odegaard opened the scoring inside two minutes, before Lewis-Skelly upped the ante.

There has been a good deal of hand-wringing about Arsenal’s behaviour (‘Was Lewis-Skelly’s celebration wrong?’ questioned a talkSPORT phone-in, in which host Jason Cundy advised the teenager to “be careful” because “we saw what Roy Keane did to Haaland’s dad”) and criticism of Arteta’s cocky young side.

The needle made for a brilliant spectacle and the clubs’ heated rivalry should be celebrated rather than condemned.

Broadly, there are two arguments against Arsenal’s antics; firstly, that Arteta’s side should be wary because what goes around comes around. And, secondly, that they have no right to taunt the likes of quadruple-winner Haaland because they have won nothing yet.

The suggestion that Arsenal will get their comeuppance is entirely fair. Haaland had the last laugh at the Etihad Stadium, celebrating City’s stoppage-time equaliser by flinging the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head before advising Arteta to “stay humble” and asking Lewis-Skelly “who are you?” in the post-match tussle.

On Sunday, it was the striker’s turn to take it and, to his credit, he seemed to react fairly well.

It feels inevitable that Haaland will turn the tables again, perhaps rising between Gabriel and Lewis-Skelly to head home a crucial goal in an important City win.

Gabriel evoked Martin Keown’s iconic goading of Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003 by yelling in Haaland’s face after Arsenal opened the scoring

Action Images via Reuters

When or if that happens, Arsenal will have to take their medicine.

In the meantime, for non-Arsenal fans, the narratives make for great entertainment and it would only make for more fabulous theatre if the Gunners fall on their sword in future, just as Haaland did.

As for the suggestion that Arsenal should ‘stay humble’ until they are winners, why?

Fans and players should be allowed to revel in these moments. It is easy to forget that the game is a form of entertainment.

There was something raw and real about Arsenal’s goading of City that only added to the spectacle of their outstanding performance.

As Arteta has since pointed out, there is a time and a place and a line that should not be crossed.

But there is a reason that the Manchester United-Arsenal rivalry under Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is looked back on with such fond nostalgia.

It was the Premier League at its very best, and Sunday’s game felt like a throwback to a spikier era. Long may it continue.