Jason Cundy has labelled Ian Wright ‘one of the biggest s***houses out there’ after the Arsenal icon slammed Erling Haaland’s behaviour during Sunday’s 2-2 thriller at the Etihad.
Haaland, who had earlier broken the deadlock, was seen throwing the ball at the back of Gabriel Magalhaes’ head in the immediate aftermath of John Stones’ dramatic stoppage-time equaliser.
Tensions boiled throughout the heavyweight Premier League contest and Haaland was later overheard telling Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’ as the two teams clashed at the full-time whistle.
Unsurprisingly, Haaland’s antics did not go down too well with Arsenal supporters and club legend Wright took to Instagram to make his feelings known, branding the Norwegian’s act a ‘coward’s move’.
‘I just felt like I needed to put something out there which has been bothering me. Because obviously the [Leandro] Trossard sending off – of course, in the moment, you’re frustrated,’ the former Arsenal and England forward said.
‘It’s 2-1. And I’m thinking “yes, we’ve got them”. And then we get sent off for something that, let’s face it, is f***ing foolishness – what they’re getting sent off for now. So in the moment, yeah. Again, you shouldn’t be sent off for that.
‘But the one thing that boiled me up properly was Haaland’s coward’s move, bro. I saw it this morning properly.
‘Throwing the ball in 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. I’m looking at this as a really good defender versus striker for the years to come, them two. I love watching them two. And then you’re doing a coward’s move like that?
‘That’s what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you was bigger than that, bro. I thought you was bigger than that.’
Gabriel insisted he did not even remember Haaland throwing the ball at his head when asked about the incident, adding that ‘provocation is normal’ in the heat of ‘battle’.
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, sought to defend Haaland’s actions, insisting, ‘it was emotions’, and it has since been confirmed that the striker will avoid retrospective punishment from the FA.
Addressing Wright’s comments on talkSPORT, ex-Chelsea and Tottenham star Cundy reminded listeners about the Arsenal legend’s reputation for ‘provoking’ rivals during his playing days.
‘I played against Wrighty, of all the people to moan about this… Ian Wright was one of the biggest s***houses out there ever,’ Cundy said.
‘There’s a challenge between him and [Peter] Schmeichel and you want to see what he does to Schmeichel. The ball’s there to be won for the pair of them, but you watch Ian Wright, the way he goes in.
‘This would have been his game. Wrighty would have been right up the very front there because that was who he was as a player.
‘He was obviously a brilliant footballer but Wrighty didn’t shy away from battle.
‘He almost provoked it and then he would try and get on the back of it. Honestly… the irony is not lost on me.’
Facing the media this morning, Arteta stressed that he was keen to ‘move on’ from the drama and controversy of Sunday’s match.
‘I don’t know. It’s part of football, it’s part of sport,’ the Arsenal boss told reporters ahead of the side’s Carabao Cup tie with Bolton.
‘After the game, all the goes away and we move on. That’s it.’