Erling Haaland was spotted wildly celebrating after watching replacement Julian Alvarez make up for his absence by scoring a vital goal for Manchester City against Liverpool.
The injured 22-year-old missed the match after picking up a groin problem before the start of the international break, but that didn't stop him from celebrating Alvarez's equaliser. Haaland was spotted going mad with joy in the stands alongside his dad, Alfie, when the Argentine forward emphatically made it 1-1 following Mohamed Salah's opening goal against the run of play.
City had gone behind early in the first half and it looked as if Haaland's absence, unconfirmed until little over an hour before kick-off, was about to prove fatal to their chances of picking up a crucial win. But when Alvarez finished off a slick move involving Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish, parity was restored for Pep Guardiola's title-chasing side.
Haaland and his dad leapt off their seats to celebrate in some wholesome scenes - unless you're an Arsenal fan, of course. The Citizens went into the match eight points adrift of their Premier League title rivals and knew that defeat would cost them dearly in their bid to peg Arsenal back and retain their status as champions.
Although City dominated possession in the opening stages, it was Liverpool who struck first through Salah. Guardiola's men soon responded with a typically slick attack which Alvarez made no mistake in turning into a goal.
It was the youngster's 13th striker for City, having joined them from River Plate last summer. Haaland, on the other hand, boasts 42 goals in his first term under Guardiola, who didn't want to risk him for the match.
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"He's much, much better, but not for today," the Spaniard told BT Sport. "He didn't feel good, no risk." Reacting to the news, ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch backed Alvarez to add a different dimension for the Citizens.
"I love him as a player," Crouch said of Haaland. "He's got a great goal record. It's so frustrating - I've been there in a situation where you've got someone in front of you like Haaland, I had it with [Fernando] Torres at Liverpool where everything he touched was going in the back of the net.
"He's not gonna replace him, what he's gonna have to do is be ready for any occasion that he gets called upon or perhaps play alongside him. He gives you that little bit more, Haaland will always play on the edge trying to score goals and have an impact with his goalscoring, but Alvarez's all-round game is a lot more touches of the football."
