Arsenal star sends Erling Haaland warning ahead of Man City final

• Sport
• Football
• Manchester City FC

Manchester City meet Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday with the first trophy of the season on the line

Arsenal defender Gabriel has warned his teammates that Erling Haaland remains the best striker in the Premier League ahead of their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday. Haaland has bagged 30 goals for the Blues this season but his recent form has been a concern.

Before Tuesday night's defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, Haaland had not scored since mid-February. The Norway international ended his goal drought against Los Blancos and despite the forward's form not being at its usual high standards, Gabriel is under no illusions about the threat Haaland possesses.

"Yeah, of course," the Brazil defender responded when asked if Haaland was the toughest striker in the Premier League. "To be honest, I enjoy every game, every striker. It is my job, so I like to battle. But he is a top player and, of course, I think he likes to play against me as well. I think it is fun [facing Haaland]. We enjoy it."

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Last season, City nicked a point against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium and in the celebrations Haaland threw the ball at Gabriel's head. The draw did not help either side with Liverpool ultimately winning the Premier League.

For City it was a poor season without a trophy but for Arsenal, it was yet another missed opportunity for silverware that stretches back to 2020. Looking ahead to the meeting with the Blues at Wembley on Sunday, Gabriel said: "I think it's a really good feeling for this club to be in the final against a top team as well.

"We have a good feeling and we can't wait for Sunday. Like we said before, we are in all competitions, so of course we want to win every game.

"Every game we want to play, we want to win. I think we are very excited for this game. We know it's going to be a big battle, but we are ready for this and try to win of course."