Erling Haaland was spotted celebrating wildly in the stands after watching Manchester City equalise against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The Norwegian striker missed the match due to a groin injury but was visibly delighted when Julian Alvarez scored the equaliser for the hosts.
Haaland, 22, was left out of the squad by Pep Guardiola after withdrawing from the Norway squad during the international break. He watched from the director's box alongside associates, showing his passion for the club as Alvarez slotted home to finish a sublime move, levelling the game at 1-1.
City were forced to do without their top scorer, who has bagged 42 goals in all competitions this season. Guardiola revealed before the match: 'Haaland is much, much better but he is not fully fit for today. He doesn't feel proper. It is not a big issue but today he was not right, so no risk.'
With Arsenal eight points clear, City needed a win to close the gap. However, they fell behind early when Mohamed Salah scored for Liverpool. City equalised through Alvarez after a fine move involving Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish. Haaland's joy at his team-mate's goal highlighted his popularity within the squad.
