Erling Haaland was once again in the spotlight after Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday, but this time it wasn’t just his on-field performances that drew attention, but also the bizarre circumstances in his personal life.
During the match, the two teams faced each other in a heated scuffle that saw shirts being torn, and there was some quite physical play, which did not sit well with City’s star player’s girlfriend, Isabelle Hausseng-Johansen.
Haaland’s girlfriend is ‘not happy’ with him
During the match, the Norwegian engaged in a fierce physical battle with Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalles throughout the entire 90 minutes. Haaland had to change his jersey after it was damaged in a collision with Magalhaes, but Haaland later appeared to attempt a headbutt and received a yellow card.
The physical style of play that characterizes the Premier League is exactly what makes his girlfriend uncomfortable. The striker himself described the constant blows and scratches he receives during matches as not entertaining Johansen at all.
“They pulled my jersey, but no foul was called. That’s the Premier League. It’s pure wrestling. There were a lot of duels and a lot of scratches,” he said of the altercation with Magarihes. “Sometimes my girlfriend isn’t too happy about it, which seems a little weird! But that’s the reality,” he added.
Beyond anecdotes, Haaland also noted that he is feeling very well, especially after his international break with the Norwegian national team.
“Look how happy we were after the game. It was very nice to have a break with the national team. After playing 50 games this season, I was really happy that they told me to ‘relax’,” Erling admitted.
So Haaland is now focused on maintaining his scoring form as Manchester City continue to fight for the title at a crucial stage of the season, even if he has to explain his “battle scars” later on.
Meanwhile, he is also preparing for a bigger challenge: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Norway is in Group I with France, Senegal and Iraq.
Norway will make its debut against Iraq on June 17th at 3pm ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The second game will be against Senegal at MetLife Stadium on the 23rd at 9pm ET. Finally, they will close out the group stage with a game against France on the 26th before returning to Gillette Stadium for a match kickoff at 6pm ET.
