Arsenal icon locks horns with Gary Neville over 'disrespectful' comments

EXCLUSIVE - Gary Neville called retired Arsenal's players for their attraction of Erling Haaland during past week's Premier League clash, which a Gunners fable has taken contented with

Arsenal fable Ray Parlour doesn’t spot “anything wrong” with Gabriel Magalhaes’ behaviour towards Erling Haaland, which Gary Neville called “disrespectful”.

The Gunners recorded a connection 5-1 triumph over their rivals Manchester City connected Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s men were visibly amped up for the fixture, which has go progressively heated successful caller seasons. That was wide instantly arsenic Arsenal defender Gabriel taunted Haaland successful his face erstwhile Martin Odegaard scored the opening extremity 2 minutes in.

There were respective much barbs exchanged betwixt the Brazilian and Haaland passim the game, aft the second threw a ball astatine his caput earlier this season. Eighteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly past mimicked Haaland's celebration aft netting Arsenal’s 3rd extremity - a effect to comments made by the Norwegian towards him backmost successful September.

Former Manchester United defender Neville, who was connected commentary for Sky Sports’ sum of the clash, repeatedly voiced his disapproval towards the Arsenal players’ behaviour. Despite having been progressive successful respective incidents during his ain career, including against the Gunners, Neville singled Gabriel’s solemnisation retired arsenic "disrespectful".

But erstwhile Gunners midfielder Parlour, 51, has travel to the defence of some Gabriel and Lewis-Skelly. Parlour insisted that specified passionateness is indispensable during large games against rivals, which helium described arsenic “battles”.

Talking exclusively to Mirror Football via NetBet Sports Betting, the three-time Premier League champion said: “There’s ever going to beryllium rivalry betwixt apical clubs. At the extremity of the game, you should shingle hands and accidental ‘that’s it, the game's over’. But successful the crippled you’re trying to get 1 implicit connected your opposition.

“Against Man United, I ever thought the archetypal tackle was precise important. I got taught that arsenic a kid coming done with Pat Rice, get the archetypal tackle close and you’re abruptly connected the beforehand foot. I don’t spot thing incorrect with that [Gabriel versus Haaland]. I similar the rivalry. The fans get a existent buzz retired of it arsenic good seeing however overmuch the players care.”

He added: “When you enactment that Arsenal garment connected you’re going into conflict and you bash everything you perchance tin to get a result. If you’ve got that mentality arsenic a player, you’ll triumph a batch much than you’ll suffer due to the fact that you’ll beryllium a harder squad to beat. Having said that, aft the crippled we did spill implicit astatine Old Trafford erstwhile due to the fact that emotions are precise precocious successful football.”

The crippled successful question refers to a 2003 fixture betwixt United and Arsenal, dubbed the ‘Battle of Old Trafford’ for its ferocity and drama. The lucifer saw Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira sent disconnected aft kicking retired astatine the fixture's pantomime villain, Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Parlour was among the radical of Arsenal players who infamously surrounded and shoved Van Nistelrooy aft helium missed a past infinitesimal punishment to triumph United the lucifer - a extremity that would person stopped Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles play successful its tracks.

The chaos aft the last whistle was the culmination of years of aggravated rivalry betwixt England’s apical 2 sides, who regularly battled for home trophies. Neville himself was accused of targeting Arsenal’s wingers with assertive challenges during that time, with Vieira telling the pundit successful 2024: “I couldn't basal you due to the fact that you were conscionable kicking everybody," leaving the pundit laughing.

Yet Neville expressed his distaste towards lesser antics connected Sky Sports aft Arsenal’s triumph implicit City, saying: "I privation to notation Gabriel and what helium did to Haaland. It happened to maine here, actually. Not present [Emirates Stadium], it was astatine Highbury many, galore years ago. Where a subordinate [Ashley Cole] came up and screamed successful my face. We really won the crippled 4-2 that day. I really don't similar it. I deliberation it's a spot disrespectful.

"I get the information that Haaland's benignant of pantomime villain present today, but there's thing astir it that I didn't similar astir it. I was galore things but I ne'er did that. I ne'er went and screamed successful a player's face. I don't know, I conscionable felt there's thing astir that I thought made maine consciousness a small spot uneasy, a small spot disrespectful."

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