LET’S get ready to tumble! Erling Haaland celebrated his latest blast of fame by re-living one of the Prem’s most notorious moments of shame.
The Manchester City striker recreated Paolo Di Canio pushing late referee Paul Alcock to the ground 25 years ago to the month – as the infamous Italian culprit looked on in the stands at his old club West Ham.
Bernardo Silva gives fellow Man City scorer Erling Haaland a push like Paolo Di Canio’s on ref Paul Alcock in September 1998Rex
Haaland shows he is no better at staying on his feet than Alcock, who was harshly criticised for his ungainly fall 25 years agoRex
APGoal machine Haaland was happy to be the fall guy[/caption]
Sky SportsDi Canio shocked the football world with his push on ref Alcock[/caption]
Fellow City scorer Bernardo Silva shoved Haaland – with the Norwegian tumbling backwards to the ground just like Alcock did.
The pair wore huge grins – unlike the ref in September 1998.
Alcock was ridiculed amid suggestions he fell over too easily.
But the whistler, who died in 2018 aged 64, insisted he was off-balance – and Di Canio, then of Sheffield Wednesday, was banned for 11 games.
Haaland channelled the infamous, iconic incident after rounding off City’s 3-1 comeback victory at West Ham on Saturday.
Last season’s Treble winners top the Prem as the only side with five wins from their first five games.
Jeremy Doku, Silva and a typical Haaland finish deservedly overturned a first-half lead given to the Hammers by a diving header from James Ward-Prowse.
Ex-Borussia Dortmund hero Haaland, 23, hit 35 goals in his 36 Prem matches last term – netting 52 times in all competitions.
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The £52milion poacher already has seven in five league games this season.
And after some pundits doubted his suitability for Pep Guardiola‘s short-passing side, Haaland is simply telling them to “shove it”.
Di Canio was banned for his reaction to being sent off following a melee against Arsenal 25 years agoNews Group Newspapers Ltd