"He fought like an animal" — Bernardo Silva hails match-winner Haaland after Arsenal destruction

Haaland was the standout performer as City defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad, leading from the front in a physically intense battle against Arsenal’s formidable centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

He won countless duels, pressed relentlessly, and capped his display with the decisive winning goal that proved the difference in a tight contest.

Speaking after the match, Silva could not hide his admiration for his teammate’s relentless effort.“Erling was fantastic today, fighting for every ball. It’s not easy with two centre backs that strong.

He was unbelievable! Today, he fought like an animal,” Silva said.

The Portuguese midfielder admitted the game was a tense affair, with City dominating early before a mistake around the 30th minute shifted the momentum.

“I thought we were very good until we made that mistake, and we changed the mood a bit after the 30th minute.

"The second half was tough. It looked like we were in control, but it always felt like they were very dangerous. They had two big chances in a row.

“These big games are like this, it’s the small margins, the small details that make a difference. We were there, our fans were there, I’m really proud.”