Arsenal's mockery of Manchester City - and more specifically Erling Haaland - in Sunday's 5-1 Premier League win was "fair game", former Gunners midfielder Ray Parlour has insisted.
City talisman Haaland was at the centre of the pre-match build-up following his controversial antics in September's 2-2 draw, where John Stones rescued a point for Pep Guardiola's side right at the death.
The 24-year-old firstly threw the ball at Gabriel Magalhaes's head as he celebrated his side's late leveller, before insulting Myles Lewis-Skelly and telling Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to "stay humble".
However, Haaland was the one humbled at the Emirates, where Lewis-Skelly mimicked his celebration after finding the back of the net, Gabriel celebrated Martin Odegaard's winner in his face and 'Humble' by Kendrick Lamar was boomed out of the PA system at full time.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Parlour insisted that such jibes were part and parcel of fierce Premier League rivalries, saying: "We had rivalries in our day, especially with Manchester United.
Arsenal antics towards Haaland "fair game"
© Imago
"And it's key to always get one over your nearest rival. It is fair game, the media bring a lot of this up. It's an emotional game and things happen. Haaland threw the ball on the back of Gabriel's head in the first game and then you overhear stay humble from him."
Haaland briefly had his moment in the limelight for the right reasons at the Emirates, levelling the scores early in the second half with a record-breaking 250th club goal at the tender age of 24.
However, a deflected Thomas Partey strike restored Arsenal's slender lead just a couple of minutes later, before further efforts from Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri propelled the Gunners to one of the most memorable wins of the Arteta era so far.
Formerly a perennial nemesis of Arsenal's, Man City won 15 of their 16 head-to-heads between November 2017 and April 2023, only suffering one defeat in the semi-finals of the 2019-20 FA Cup, which the Gunners went on to win.
Arteta's men have now strung together a five-game unbeaten run against the Premier League champions, though, and Parlour was delighted to see the Gunners' "hunger" to humiliate their opponents further on Sunday.
'Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri goals made it sweeter for Arsenal'
© Imago
"For Arsenal, two youngsters getting on the scoresheet made it even sweeter for the crowd and then Havertz getting his goal," Parlour added. "Arsenal wanted to put in a big performance and they deserved the win on Sunday."
"Arsenal have taken a few losses away at Man City and also had home over recent years under Pep, and for Arsenal to show the hunger to keep being on the front foot in the second half and look to score more goals was great.
"City in the second half were not at their best defensively, Arsenal got a bit of luck with Partey's second goal, and after that, three very good goals, but from City's perspective, they would have looked to have done better defensively."
Parlour's sentiment on Arsenal's celebrations was echoed by a Gunners expert, who claimed that Sunday's match was an example of a "proper" game in a world where football has become "too nicey-nicey".
Despite their emphatic beating of the holders, Arsenal are still rank outsiders for the Premier League title given that Liverpool hold a six-point advantage at the top of the rankings with a game in hand, which will be played on February 12 away to Merseyside rivals Everton.
Ray Parlour was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of NetBet Sports Betting
Ben Knapton
