Erling Haaland throwing ball at Gabriel after Man City goal sparks full-time fury

John Stones said Arsenal’s deployment of the dark arts could be perceived as ‘dirty’

The furious scenes at the end of Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal appear to have been sparked by Erling Haaland throwing the ball at the head of Gabriel Magalhaes. 
Haaland responded to City’s 98th-minute equaliser, scored by John Stones, by grabbing the ball from the net and then launching it at the back of the Arsenal defender’s head.
The goal, followed by City’s wild celebrations, triggered furious scenes on the Etihad pitch as players clashed. Haaland was at the centre of the ruckus, arguing furiously with Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus, a former City player, and even 17-year-old Arsenal academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly.
It marked a fractious end to a game that had started in combative circumstances, with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and City’s Rodri colliding within just a few seconds of action. Rodri collapsed to the turf after the incident, before later limping off with a separate injury. 
In all, there were nine yellow cards shown (three to City, six to Arsenal), including the two bookings for Leandro Trossard, who was sent off in the first half. 
Stones said after the game that City were prepared for Arsenal’s “dark arts” and suggested it could be described as “dirty” play by Mikel Arteta’s side. 
“It was a difficult afternoon for both teams, how they stop the play, how they use the side of football that not many teams do,” said Stones. “They slow the game down, they get the keeper on the floor so they can get some information onto the pitch.
“We had to control our emotions during those tough times and I felt like we did. There were a lot of tough tackles, some silly decisions but we did well.
“I wouldn’t say they have mastered it but they have done it for a few years now so we knew to expect that. You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm. They use it to their advantage and we dealt with it very well.”