Erling Haaland briefly dropped the mask of Manchester City’s charismatic spokesperson to offer an insight into his thoughts on Manchester United-or rather, his lack of thoughts.
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During an interview with beIN Connect aired this weekend, Haaland couldn’t recall what City’s fiercest rivals were called. “What’s their name?” he damningly asked before arriving at the answer.
When this mischievous wrinkle was thrown back at City’s striker, he laughed: “I had to think about the name.”
While United have historically dominated their city rivals, with former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson notably dismissing the blue half of Manchester as nothing more than “noisy neighbors,” there has been a distinct power shift in the last decade. Haaland has only known United as distant challengers during his four years at City, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool his club’s closest contenders.
Before misplacing United’s name, Haaland had been previewing City’s daunting trip to Anfield on Sunday. The Premier League’s most potent forward was not only anticipating a hostile reaction from a Liverpool crowd baying for blood after the official announcement of City’s guilt regarding more than 100 breaches of financial regulations, he was looking for to it.
“I hope it’s like that [hostile],” Haaland insisted, “it should be like that when Man City go to Liverpool and Anfield.”
Haaland’s Man City Prediction for Huge Liverpool Clash
Erling Haaland you are built different. pic.twitter.com/rDmbDDzoOM
– Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 8, 2026
Accepted wisdom would claim that the odds are stacked against Manchester City heading into Sunday’s trip to Anfield. It has been widely predicted that fans on Merseyside will make their home ground an insufferable bear pit for the visit of a club who, according to an independent commission, have systematically cheated for almost a decade to build the foundations of a team which has denied Liverpool more than most.
In the face of this wall of negativity, City are expected to wilt. Yet, that ignores some inconvenient realities.
Read more Erling Haaland Shows What He Thinks of Man Utd With Brutal Three-Word Admission
Anfield has a formidable reputation on certain European nights but the fizz of Liverpool’s home ground has been distinctly lacking for an extended period. On a chilly Sunday afternoon, rather than under the bright lights of a Champions League affair, there’s only so much hostility that can be summoned.
Whatever takes place in the stands is still secondary to the actual action on the pitch. City, lest it be forgotten, are top of the league with a perfect record under Enzo Maresca. Liverpool, by contrast, have dropped points to Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Fulham, three clubs who started the day in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
With all that in mind, Haaland’s confidence that City fans are “going to have a good time” at Anfield comes with some justification.
“We have to stick together,” City’s No. 9 told Sky Sports. “We have to stay with each other, and we have to stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile. So we have to stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game.
“We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah: stick together, and enjoy the ride and smile.”
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 3:50 AM.
