Tensions flared at the conclusion of Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City, with Kyle Walker and Erling Haaland confronting Nicolas Jover.

Arsenal emerged victorious in the highly anticipated Premier League showdown, with Gabriel Martinelli’s lone goal, aided by an unfortunate deflection off Nathan Ake, proving decisive. Given Arsenal’s narrow loss in the title race to City the previous season, it was expected that they would savor this success, and post-match celebrations seemed to escalate.

Upon leaving the field and heading toward the tunnel, City’s players were confronted by experienced defender Walker, who turned back to engage in a heated exchange with Arsenal’s set-piece coach, Jover. Prolific striker Haaland also became involved in the altercation, requiring intervention from staff members from both teams. Bukayo Saka attempted to mediate the situation.

Pep Guardiola, although not directly involved in the post-match dispute, claimed to be aware of the details but opted not to comment publicly, saying, “I know what happened, but I won’t say anything. They [Arsenal] know it.” Gary Neville, working as a pundit for Sky Sports, commented on the incident, suggesting, “Football players don’t appreciate criticism of their set-piece performance, let alone criticism from the opposing team’s set-piece coach.”

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott weighed in on the possible triggers for Walker and City’s reactions, stating, “We usually view Man City as highly professional and unreactive in such situations, so it seems a nerve was struck there, without a doubt.” Guardiola’s team has now experienced consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time since December 2018, while unbeaten Arsenal finds itself level on points with Tottenham at the summit of the league table.