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Former Arsenal forward Alan Smith has hit back at Alf-Inge Haaland’s criticism of the Gunners’ celebrations after their 5-1 victory.
Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has come to the defense of his former club and young player Myles Lewis-Skelly after Alf-Inge Haaland, father of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, criticized Arsenal’s celebrations following their 5-1 victory over City.
The controversy began when Lewis-Skelly, an 18-year-old left-back, scored Arsenal’s third goal in the match and celebrated with a meditation pose, mimicking Erling Haaland’s signature celebration. Arsenal’s official X account posted a picture of the celebration with the caption “This team,” which prompted Alf-Inge Haaland to respond with, “This team that wins everything. Ehhhhh, not.”
Alan Smith, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, responded to Haaland’s comments on Betway’s Seaman Says Pod. “Haaland’s dad had a little chip, didn’t he?” Smith said. “On social media saying, ‘oh, yeah, all those trophies you’ve won,’ or something like that. I thought, ‘oh, leave it’. It’s just funny!”
Smith continued, “By the way, Alf-Inge, you didn’t win much! Back in your box. You can’t live your life through your son, you know. It was a great moment, wasn’t it? Those kinds of things are great.”
The incident has sparked a debate about the appropriateness of celebrations in football and whether mocking opponents crosses a line. While some, like Alan McInally, have warned Lewis-Skelly about the potential consequences of such actions, others, like Rio Ferdinand, have defended the young player, arguing that celebrations are part of the game’s tribalism.
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