Wayne Rooney Issues Haaland Warning to Arsenal After Man City’s Anfield Comeback

Rooney issues warning to Arsenal that Erling Haaland resurgence after Manchester City’s Anfield comeback could reshape the Premier League title race.

Wayne Rooney has delivered a stark Erling Haaland warning to Arsenal following Manchester City’s dramatic late comeback victory over Liverpool at Anfield — a result that reignited the Premier League title race and sent a clear message to Mikel Arteta’s side.

Writing through the lens of elite football analysis, ArsenalTalks understands the psychological shift triggered by City’s 2–1 win, with Rooney identifying Erling Haaland’s return to scoring form as the true danger signal for Arsenal’s title ambitions.

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City overturned Liverpool’s second-half lead to secure a crucial three points, cutting Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the table and restoring belief inside Pep Guardiola’s squad at a decisive stage of the season.

Liverpool looked in control when Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a superb free-kick, putting City on the brink of a damaging defeat. However, Guardiola’s side refused to collapse.

Bernardo Silva levelled the match late on before Erling Haaland calmly converted a high-pressure stoppage-time penalty — his first goal at Anfield since joining Manchester City — sealing a dramatic turnaround that shifted the title narrative overnight.

The victory kept City firmly in the championship hunt and reduced Arsenal’s lead to six points, with Guardiola’s side still holding a game in hand.

Rooney identifies Haaland as Arsenal’s biggest threat

Speaking as a pundit, Rooney described the result as “huge” for Manchester City and immediately turned his attention to Haaland’s psychological reset.

The former Manchester United striker highlighted how the Norwegian adapted his role during the match, dropping deeper to create chances before delivering when it mattered most.

“It’s an important one for Manchester City. It’s a tough place to go, Anfield. City went a goal down and dug in to get the three points.”

Rooney then focused on Haaland’s impact:

“I thought it was a strange performance from Erling Haaland — one I’ve never really seen from him. But then he creates the equaliser and scores the high-pressure penalty. It keeps them in the title race. You could see the relief in his face.”

Rooney believes Haaland’s breakthrough moment could trigger a dangerous scoring run — and that Arsenal should take it seriously.

“The confidence that will give him now will be scary for Arsenal in the next few weeks. I think it’s been a confidence issue. If you’re not scoring week in, week out, it does get to you — no matter what level you’re playing at.”

From an ArsenalTalks perspective, this is the key shift: Haaland’s mentality reset matters as much as the goal itself. Once confidence returns, his scoring output historically accelerates — and that directly threatens Arsenal’s margin for error.

Arsenal maintained their lead at the top with a 3–0 win over Sunderland earlier in the day, keeping control of the title race on the surface. But City’s Anfield comeback reshaped the psychological landscape.

Before kickoff, Arsenal could have stretched their lead to double digits. Instead, City’s resilience reduced the gap and reopened the race, with a potential midweek win capable of cutting the deficit even further.

Rooney offered a final message to Arteta’s squad:

“Arsenal can only focus on themselves. But that game would have been deflating for them. You waste a lot of energy hoping your rivals slip up.”

ArsenalTalks analysis: the real danger signal

From a pure football perspective, City’s win matters. But from a title psychology perspective, Haaland’s resurgence matters more.

Momentum players decide title races. Confidence strikers shift pressure. Erling Haaland returning to scoring form creates a new dynamic — one that Arsenal must manage with control, composure, and consistency.

As ArsenalTalks continues to track the title run-in, one reality is now clear:
Manchester City are no longer chasing — they’re hunting.

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