After netting a brace in City’s 2-0 win over Porto, Haaland told TV2 he was hungry for a hat‑trick and felt the defender was intent on stopping him.
He referred to Porto’s Pablo Rosario, who hauled him to the ground in the 93rd minute as the Norwegian chased a ball‑less run.
‘It was odd,’ Haaland said. ‘You’ll see a photo of him grabbing my rear… that’ll be interesting.’
The clip shows Haaland scrambling up, clutching Rosario’s shirt, while the defender snatches his backside. Haaland wagged a finger, clearly outraged.
That scuffle underlines a growing fire in Haaland, a player who relishes physical duels and matches aggression with equal vigor.
In the past year the trait has surged, likely because City’s long‑ball style pits him against Premier League giants like Dan Burn and Gabriel.
Three of his five goals in the last four games came from headers – once a weak spot, now sharpened by garden drills with his dad.
Porto boss Francesco Farioli warned, ‘We can’t give half‑metres to the world’s best striker,’ prompting even harsher tactics.
Former manager Pep Guardiola noted, ‘He’s the only striker I’ve seen who fouls defenders more than they foul him.’
‘I never observed that,’ a referee confessed. ‘Early season we were told it’d be the opposite, yet every time Erling contacts an opponent, a foul is called on him.’
Since joining City in 2022, Haaland has endured 95 Premier League fouls while committing 98 himself, which explains his disbelief at the referee’s gesture on Tuesday.
He sensed what was coming and could hardly believe it.
Defenders often get a free pass to employ rough methods, yet Haaland seems policed more tightly; a slight use of his body frequently earns a whistle.
‘Another day at the office,’ he posted on Instagram in February, sharing a snap of his tussle with Newcastle’s Burn.
Despite constant battles, he’s never been expelled, showing he knows the line.
His treatment echoes NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, whose opponents routinely fouled him because his free‑throw shooting was a liability.
The league later introduced zone defence, allowing multiple players to guard O’Neal and further complicating his game.
In the 2022 ‘Shaq’ documentary, a former NBA official admitted officials had to adapt to O’Neal and that he deserved many more fouls; O’Neal occasionally lost his cool.
The parallels are clear: rough treatment often fuels both stars, with O’Neal saying being ‘p***ed off’ pushed him into higher gear, much like Haaland.
‘At 1‑1 he grabbed my rear and I thought, “What are you doing?”’ Haaland recalled to TV2 after a clash with Italy’s Gianluca Mancini for Norway.
‘I fired myself up, thanked him for the motivation and then scored twice as we won 4‑1,’ he added.
Even as fouls can rile him, many instances of illegal grabs or tackles go unpunished, leaving him to brush them off.
Everton veteran Conor Coady explained their plan: ‘We’ll hit him hard from the first minute, bang, as soon as we can.’
Two minutes in, Ben Godfrey struck his ankle; Haaland rose, chased the defender and asked, ‘Was that you?’ pointing at Godfrey.
The unawarded foul came after just seven seconds. Haaland retaliated, barging Godfrey and celebrating as City led 1‑0, the battle raging all night.
He often sends cheeky thank‑you messages to opponents; after a 0‑0 Champions League draw with Inter, he asked Francesco Acerbi if he wanted his shirt, mocking the Italian’s cling.
Last season he praised Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg for spurring him to an early winner.
‘I thought it would be tough, but ten seconds in he pushed me and motivated me – all credit to him,’ he said.
That mirrors how Shaq would rise from a flat performance when opponents got physical.
Critics have noted Haaland’s occasional lack of presence, such as Guardiola’s rebuke for not challenging Van Dijk at Anfield and fan jeers after being silenced by Martinez and Maguire at Old Trafford.
Those games coincided with Guardiola calling him ‘exhausted,’ and Haaland admitted the Norway World Cup run still haunts him mentally, yet he appears ready to fight this season.
When he channels that fire, he becomes unstoppable. For my money, his edge makes him the most dangerous striker in Europe. Will we see him dominate even tougher defenses next year?