The tension between Haaland, now 25, and the 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly dates back to a fiery 2-2 league clash between Arsenal and City in September 2024. ..Continue Reading
The match between the two teams saw Lewis-Skelly make his Arsenal debut with Haaland turning to him and shouting: ‘Who the f*** are you?’
Lewis-Skelly got revenge over Haaland when Arsenal smashed City 5-1 in February, copying the Norwegian’s lotus celebration after scoring a goal.
After the game, Lewis-Skelly shared a ‘keep it humble’ message on his Instagram – in a collaboration with Adidas – in what was a reference to Haaland telling Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’.
Haaland has now responded to the English teenager in a new interview, telling TIME: ‘They won the game 5-1. So yeah, they got me.
‘If he wanted to use that moment to mock me, that’s fair enough for him. Whatever he wants to do, he can do.’
When quizzed about his now infamous ‘stay humble’ dig at Arteta in September 2024, Haaland vowed to continue using the phrase.
‘I think it’s an important phrase, which a lot of people should use, including myself,’ Haaland added.
‘It’s one of the most important things, as individuals, to do.’
Arsenal and Manchester City have sparked a competitive edge between them, having battled closely for the Premier League title in recent years—though Liverpool clinched the crown last season.
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal came second to City in both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. In 2025, the Gunners were runners-up yet again, while City slipped to third place.
Their next showdown is scheduled for September 21, when Arsenal will welcome Pep Guardiola’s team to the Emirates Stadium.
The return leg is slated for April 18, when the Gunners will travel to the Etihad for the rematch.
