You were afraid that Gabriel Magalhaes had been too early in inciting Erling Haaland.
Less than two minutes took for the Arsenal defender, with a contorted expression surpassed by the ecstasy on his side taking an early advantage through Martin Odegaard, to rekindle his dispute with the Manchester City striker celebrating on Haaland's face.
These two have history, of course. They are not on the other's Christmas card lists, they say so.
Maybe, Gabriel knew what was waiting for him. Haaland touched the ball only six times in the first 45 minutes, completing only a successful pass.
You just need a touch to score a goal, of course. In fact, the Norwegian threatened to ram the Brazilian's pranks in his throat at the beginning of the second half while nodding beyond David Raya.
The self -inflicted pain suffered by the chambolic defense of the city during the rest of the second half assured that Arsenal, and Gabriel, left the Emirates with the last laugh.
Gabriel (left) vs Erling Haaland (right) was a key battle during the 5-1 victory of Arsenal over Man City
After Arsenal scored his first goal, Gabriel prompted Haaland laughing on the striker's face
'Stay Humble', Haaland infamously pronounced Mikel Arteta after full -time whistle during the league clash between these two sides in the Etihad stadium at the beginning of this season after John Stones fired home a tie at the time of arrest to the level for the city, after which, after which he threw the ball in Gabriel's head.
It is Haaland who has to endure a large slice of humble cake after this.
The view here of his Archionemigo, the Gabriel with a stab, pumping the crowd almost to rub this strong defeat in Haaland's face will not have helped Haaland's mood.
The choice of full -time music tannoy operator, Kendrick Lamar Humble's song, will not have been lost in Haaland.
Nor the view of the brilliant celebration of Myles Lewis-Skelly meditation imitating Haaland's meditation feature after hammering the third of Arsenal at home.
'I didn't see … did that? That is good, “replied the head of the city, Pep Guardiola, when asked about the choice of celebration of Lewis Skelly.
Apart from such pranks, what a Lewis-Skelly player is becoming. Nothing influences this supreme talent carved at the famous Hale End School of Arsenal.
18 years old faced Haaland's imposing physical stature. On both occasions, Lewis-Skelly passed the test with flyers.
Haaland told Mikel Arteta that he 'remains humble' in September and that those words have clearly been forgotten by the players and followers of Arsenal.
The eighteen year old arsenal star, Myles Lewis-Skelly, did very well against Haaland on Sunday
A certain international from England in creation. Thomas Tuchel also has a problem in the left, and Lewis-Skellly, despite his age, looks every inch to the dilemma of the chief coach of England.
He had his own reason for humble Haaland, having asked “Who is the F ***” for the Norwegians in the failures after the September draw in the Etihad?
The teenager was replaced in the final stages of this encounter to a great ovation of the natives. In contrast, Haaland endured the ignominy of completing all of this miserable afternoon.
The importance of the 24 -year -old city for the present and future of the city is unquestionable. The numbers speak for themselves. He is still the main man of the city.
But, however ridiculous it may seem, it is difficult to shake those statements of 'what he does if he is not marking the claims of goals.
When Peter Bankes blew for the final beep, Haaland had added only three more touches to his first half to bring his total count to nine.
Since OPTA statistics began in 2003, only a field player who has completed 90 minutes in a Premier League game has had less touches: Romelu Lukaku had seven when he played for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in 2022.
Of course, one of the three touches of the second half of Haaland was the draw of the city. That type of proportion should not be sniffed. But with his team capitulating again, Haaland was able to try only five passes. And only two were successful.
Haaland scored one of the nine touches he had during Sunday's game in London
It is clear that City is a team stuttering through a transition; The ruthless dismantling of the Arsenal on the Guardiola side here is more evidence of his surprising fall of grace.
But after recently signed a nine and a half year contract, Haaland will continue to be a constant throughout the evolution.
Since his arrival in Borussia Dortmund in 2022, this team has been aimed at supplying the ammunition so that Haaland triggers them for glory, and remained at his side of the deal, but they need to devise a plan to replicate that success.
No one is writing to Haaland. If you are, you are silly. But, said this, this regeneration of the city must find a way to feed its goal beast.
In the final whistle, it seemed a purpose for Haaland's body language. He clearly tried to encourage teammates who crossed almost as if they said: 'Let's go again'.
He immediately approached the contingent visitor, who stayed until the end, to applaud his support. I wasn't bad, I wasn't sad.
City will need that type of leadership if they will find an exit from your funk. But more pertinently they will need actions. They will need their goals.
Haaland made fun of Arsenal's fans by pointing out the Board of the Premier Gold League in La Manga
As expected, there was no conciliatory hug between Gabriel and Haaland after the final beep. The Arsenal defender was too busy accelerating the crowd after this destruction of a team that has been filed on the path of the glory of his team.
In the end, Haaland's father, Alfie, was left to go back. In response to an X post of the official Arsenal account that took a photo of the team celebrating the objective of Lewis-Skelly with the message 'This team', Haaland Snr made fun of The Gunners writing: 'This team that wins everything. Ehhhh, no.
The actions speak stronger than the words and the arsenal spoke stronger here.
Now it is up to Guardiola to gather a team capable of providing Haaland Jnr for the platform to make his own Rostesse next season.