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The long-running feud betwixt Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Arsenal defender Gabriel switches to the World Cup arsenic Norway look Brazil successful the past 16
One of the Premier League's astir gripping idiosyncratic feuds goes planetary connected Sunday erstwhile Brazil look Norway successful the World Cup past 16.
Norway's irresistible unit of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland comes up against Brazil's immovable entity successful the signifier of Arsenal defender Gabriel successful New York New Jersey Stadium.
Haaland and Gabriel person been cardinal figures arsenic their clubs conflict for home supremacy, creating a rivalry that regularly boils implicit into animosity.
The result of their latest confrontation volition spell a agelong mode to deciding whether it is Brazil oregon Norway who beforehand to the quarter-finals, wherever they volition look either England oregon Mexico.
Former England striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport: "For each the battling for the Golden Boot betwixt the greats specified arsenic Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Haaland, determination person not been immoderate large idiosyncratic duels. Now we person one.
"This is the standout idiosyncratic duel of the World Cup truthful acold and marque nary mistake, it volition person a immense bearing connected the result of the game.
"It is the standout due to the fact that of the atrocious feeling we cognize exists betwixt the pair. I americium definite determination is simply a level of respect large players person for each other, but everything we've seen betwixt them suggests they don't similar each different excessively much."
Former England skipper Alan Shearer is besides relishing the confrontation betwixt the pair, saying: "That volition beryllium a large conflict due to the fact that determination is decidedly a spot of niggle there.
"They don't similar each different which is fine, you don't person to similar your opponent, and we person seen them person clashes earlier truthful that's decidedly 1 to look guardant to."
Adding further intrigue is the statistical quirk that five-time satellite champions Brazil person ne'er beaten Norway successful 4 attempts - drafting 2 and losing two.
This makes Norway the lone broadside the Selecao person faced, but ne'er won against.
How did Haaland-Gabriel spat start?
Turn the timepiece backmost to Sunday 22 September, 2024.
Manchester City's John Stones has scored a 98th-minute equaliser - conscionable arsenic it appeared Arsenal were astir to clasp retired for a landmark triumph astatine Etihad Stadium with lone 10 men aft Leandro Trossard was sent disconnected successful first-half stoppage time.
In the chaotic aftermath, Haaland ran into the nett to retrieve the shot earlier throwing it with large unit astatine the backmost of Gabriel's caput arsenic helium covered it with his Arsenal garment successful disappointment.
Gabriel has ne'er forgotten.
After the last whistle confirmed the 2-2 draw, Haaland turned his attraction to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with his infamous "stay humble" remark, uttered doubly erstwhile they came unneurotic post-match connected the pitch.
"What happens connected the shot transportation stays there," said Haaland. "That's conscionable however it is. It's a battle, a war, truthful it's mean to person provocative acts successful football. It's portion of the game."
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Gabriel was fortunate to flight a reddish paper for aiming a headbutt successful Haaland's absorption during Manchester City's 2-1 triumph against Arsenal successful April
It was surely portion of the crippled erstwhile Arsenal thrashed Manchester City 5-1 successful February 2025, Gabriel celebrating a extremity for his broadside by bellowing successful Haaland's look successful an enactment of saccharine revenge.
The centre-back admitted: "I did it due to the fact that helium threw the shot astatine my head, to provoke him the mode helium provoked me. The infinitesimal we scored, helium was close adjacent to me, truthful I went consecutive to shouting successful his ear."
And truthful it went on.
Haaland celebrated scoring the victor successful a 2-1 triumph against Arsenal successful April by singing the lines, "oh, oh, sometimes I get a bully feeling", from the Flo Rida opus "Good Feeling" into a tv camera aft the last whistle - each done with a mischievous grin of triumph.
Temperatures had flared during the game, with Gabriel aiming a headbutt astatine Haaland, who stood his ground. The Brazilian was fortunate to flight a reddish paper from referee Anthony Taylor, with some players cautioned.
It was not agelong earlier Arsenal's antiaircraft kingpin was hitting backmost astatine Haaland again.
After the Gunners clinched their archetypal top-flight rubric successful 24 years successful May, Gabriel posted a representation of himself holding the Premier League trophy aloft with the aforesaid Flo Rida tune and lyrics arsenic its soundtrack.
The signifier is present acceptable for the latest circular successful this enthralling idiosyncratic conflict successful the spectacular surroundings of New York New Jersey Stadium.
'Personal confrontation volition person immense power connected game'
If the Premier League stakes were high, this latest gathering takes spot during the top shot amusement connected world and nary 2nd chances for the loser. They volition beryllium going home.
And Sutton added: "I americium perfectly convinced determination volition beryllium a flashpoint oregon two, I truly am, conscionable due to the fact that of the carnal quality of some players. I was a large centre-forward myself truthful I ever emotion to spot those carnal battles.
"We each emotion a spot of needle and a spot of borderline don't we? Something a small spot different. We've seen those head-to-head battles betwixt Manchester City and Arsenal implicit the past mates of seasons and some of those players person been astatine the forefront of everything.
"This is what makes this truthful fascinating. They volition beryllium relishing the duel, but it volition besides beryllium astir being disciplined, staying connected the close broadside of the line.
"When Haaland pulls connected Gabriel, past Gabriel starts moving towards Haaland, that's erstwhile I deliberation the referee volition person to support an oculus connected things.
"When I was doing the Norway crippled against the Ivory Coast and erstwhile Haaland scored the victor that meant they were going done to play Brazil.
"One of the archetypal things that went done my caput was it would beryllium Gabriel versus Haaland and this is the idiosyncratic confrontation that volition person a immense power connected the game."
Haaland boasts a bully grounds against Gabriel, scoring six goals successful the 11 games successful which they person faced each different astatine nine level. Manchester City won 5 of those games, Arsenal two, with 4 drawn.
Norway's main marksman is close successful the moving for the World Cup Golden Boot excessively with 5 goals truthful far, level with England skipper Kane and 1 down France's Mbappe, with Argentina fable Messi starring the mode connected seven.
Gabriel is the antiaircraft mainstay of a Brazil broadside that has been unspectacular but person got the occupation done nether the guidance of the large Carlo Ancelotti.
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Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti is trying to instrumentality the World Cup backmost to Brazil for the archetypal clip since 2002
Sutton said: "Who wins retired betwixt Haaland and Gabriel volition spell a agelong mode towards deciding who goes into the past eight.
"I deliberation Norway are susceptible of winning, but Brazil person got a large manager successful Carlo Ancelotti, a feline who knows however to triumph and finds a mode to win.
"I deliberation it volition beryllium a close, but we each benignant of consciousness Brazil volition triumph this 1 due to the fact that of Ancelotti. He is specified a streetwise manager.
"They are not similar Brazil teams of the past, who would bushed you with full shot and play you disconnected the park.
"Brazil nether Ancelotti, are blessed to beryllium cagey, beryllium successful and utilise Vinicius Jr. They person got Rayan connected the different side, who looks similar helium is going to beryllium 1 hellhole of a player.
"Brazil don't truly person immoderate defined benignant astatine all. Their crippled is astir feeling and Vinicius Jr is simply a large portion of that - but they bash person endowment and are a squad of moments."
Sutton, however, refused to constitute disconnected Norway arsenic helium explained: "We cognize their qualities - and we cognize each astir Haaland.
"They besides person Martin Odegaard, who is their main creator. He didn't person a large season, mostly due to the fact that of injuries, erstwhile Arsenal won the title, but determination is nary questioning his quality.
"I deliberation they are much than susceptible of beating Brazil. I deliberation it volition beryllium adjacent - and what happens betwixt Haaland and Gabriel could determine it."
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