Erling Haaland has addressed the ongoing tension with Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, ending months of silence following their fiery exchanges last season. The Manchester City striker was mocked by the teenager during Arsenal’s 5-1 win in February, a response to Haaland’s earlier outburst in a September 2024 draw. Now, Haaland has accepted the jibe and reinforced his commitment to a phrase that has defined the feud: “stay humble.”
The rivalry between the two players has emerged as one of the Premier League’s more intriguing subplots, fueled by high-stakes fixtures between Manchester City and Arsenal. As the two clubs prepare to clash again this September, the war of words continues to echo.
Erling Haaland concedes after Arsenal’s emphatic win
Speaking to TIME, Haaland reflected on Arsenal’s dominant 5-1 victory and Lewis-Skelly’s now-viral celebration. “They won the game 5-1. So yeah, they got me,” Haaland admitted. “If he wanted to use that moment to mock me, that’s fair enough for him. Whatever he wants to do, he can do.”
The Norwegian’s remarks come six months after Lewis-Skelly mirrored Haaland’s lotus pose during the rout at the Emirates, a symbolic act of revenge following Haaland’s dismissive remark during their September clash: “Who the f*** are you?”
‘Stay humble’ message remains central
Haaland also doubled down on his infamous “stay humble” comment originally aimed at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in 2024. “I think it’s an important phrase, which a lot of people should use, including myself,” he said. “It’s one of the most important things, as individuals, to do.”
Lewis-Skelly took that phrase and turned it into a subtle post-match message in February, collaborating with Adidas to post “keep it humble” on Instagram, further stoking the rivalry’s flames.
Contrasting careers and what lies ahead
Since joining Manchester City in 2022, Haaland has amassed an impressive trophy haul—two Premier League titles, a Champions League, the FA Cup, Community Shield, and Super Cup—scoring 124 goals in 146 appearances. By contrast, 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly is still chasing his first major honour but has already logged 39 senior appearances after progressing through Arsenal’s Hale End academy.
The next showdown between these two will take place on September 21 at the Emirates Stadium, with the return fixture set for April 18 at the Etihad. While Arsenal finished second and City third last season, the intensity of their rivalry shows no sign of slowing down.
As the new season approaches, all eyes will be on whether Haaland responds on the pitch—and if Lewis-Skelly has more to say with his performances.
