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 1998
Haaland shows he is no better at staying on his feet than Alcock, who was harshly criticised for his ungainly fall 25 years ago
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Goal machine Haaland was happy to be the fall guy
Di Canio stunned the football world with his push on ref Alcock
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.
The only team in the Premier League with five victories after five games is the 2018-19 Triple Crown champions.
James Ward-Prowse’s diving header in the first half had given the Hammers the advantage, but goals from Jeremy Doku, Silva, and a textbook Haaland finish overturned it rightfully.
Ex-Borussia Dortmund star Haaland, 23, scored 52 goals across all competitions while playing in 36 Premier League games last season.
The £52 million thief has seven goals in his first five league appearances this year.
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 ago