The thrilling showdown between Manchester City and Tottenham concluded in controversial fashion last Sunday, with City striker Erling Haaland showing his displeasure with referee Simon Hooper on social media.
Haaland, the talented Norwegian center forward, strongly expressed his frustration with Hooper after being denied the opportunity to play an advantage in the final moments of this gripping Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium.
Joining other members of the City team in their remonstrations with the referee, Haaland continued to show his displeasure after the match by reposting a clip of the incident on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by the comment “Wtf” , a familiar expression.
The event that sparked outrage at City occurred when Haaland was brought down in the fifth minute of added time. Despite this, he managed to regain his balance to pivot and send Jack Grealish into an advantageous position.
At first, Hooper appeared to recognize the infringement by allowing play to continue, but then blew his whistle to go back and award City a free kick.
The move sparked protests from City and criticism from football pundits.
Jermaine Jenas of the BBC's Match of the Day 2 called the decision a monumental mistake, while Leon Osman conceded it was a huge mistake despite the technology available.
Sky Sports' Micah Richards highlighted the number of situations where the game is allowed to continue, adding that City will feel aggrieved by the decision.
Commenting on the incident, Jamie Carragher said the referee "panicked", while Roy Keane described the decision as "poor".
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City players and staff surrounded the referee at the end of the match to make their case, with Haaland particularly animated.
Pep Guardiola, the City manager, responded calmly to the media, saying he would not make a provocative comment in the style of Mikel Arteta. He added that mistakes happen and that sometimes he loses his calm when it comes to referees, but in this case he remains understanding.
This controversy comes in a context where refereeing errors continue to spark debate in the world of professional football.