Haaland brushes off United fans’ ‘Keano’ barbs

Erling Haaland said he responded to taunts from Manchester United fans about the injury which finished his father’s playing career by scoring from the penalty spot in Manchester City‘s 3-0 derby win at Old Trafford.

Haaland’s father, Alfie, suffered damaged knee ligaments following a foul by United captain Roy Keane during an Old Trafford derby in April 2001. Keane later admitted in his autobiography that he deliberately set out to hurt the former Norway midfielder as revenge for his part in the cruciate ligament injury he suffered while playing against Haaland four years earlier.

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As Haaland waited to take his penalty — City’s first at Old Trafford since 1991 — the United supporters repeatedly chanted “Keano” and “Haaland, How’s your dad?” before the City forward scored and celebrated in front of the opposition fans.

“People were singing to me ‘Keano,'” Haaland told the BBC. “I don’t know why, but it is what it is. It was a nice celebration and a nice game.”

Haaland went on to score City’s second goal before teeing up a third for Phil Foden late in the second-half, but manager Pep Guardiola said he didn’t believe that the forward was motivated by the United fan chants.

“Honestly, we didn’t speak about that,” Guardiola said. “I think Erling knows his motivation is to score at Old Trafford against a confident team. He loves to score a goal.”

Guardiola said that the key to City’s victory was the performance of midfielder Bernardo Silva.

“He [Bernardo] doesn’t wear earrings or tattoos and has a normal car,” Guardiola said “He’s an incredible player for us. He loves to play in Old Trafford too.

“Sometimes he played here as a false nine in the past. He has this ability to make a lot of possessions and attack in the right moments, he is so intelligent. Everybody loves him, and he played another exceptional performance.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life and I am lucky to train him. He is one of the best, for how intelligent and clever and what a good guy he is.”

City have now won three successive games in a week after suffering three defeats in four games earlier this month. The win at Old Trafford takes City into third position, two points behind unbeaten leaders Tottenham Hotspur, and Guardiola said that the return to form has helped banish doubt from City’s minds.

“The Brighton game was so important after a few defeats,” he said. “It’s not the fact of a defeat, it’s when it comes in your mind and you start to have doubts in your head and after it is more difficult.

“Brighton is a tough opponent to play and I know how difficult it is for every team to play against them, it’s so complicated. It was also important against Young Boys to understand the way we have to play, to be more precise on an artificial pitch and we did it perfectly.

“Today here it is special for the scenario. Old Trafford is Old Trafford and to win here we are so proud.”