Erling Haaland scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season during Manchester City’s comeback win against West Ham at the London Stadium.

Haaland, who aims to surpass his own record of 36 Premier League goals in a single season set in 2022/23, secured City’s late third goal in their 3-1 victory.

However, what captured attention was Haaland’s unconventional celebration, which involved playfully involving his teammate Bernardo Silva. In a humorous moment, the Portuguese player jokingly pushed Haaland, causing him to tumble to the ground. This celebration bore resemblance to the infamous incident from 1998 when Paolo Di Canio pushed referee Paul Alcock during a match.

During that incident, Di Canio was playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal and had received a red card from the referee, a decision he strongly disagreed with. Before leaving the field, the Italian forward pushed the referee to the ground, resulting in one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history, largely due to the way Alcock fell.

Di Canio received an 11-game ban for his actions and never played for Sheffield Wednesday again. He made his return to action in 1999, this time as part of West Ham.

Paolo Di Canio remains a cult legend among Hammers fans and football enthusiasts, and he was a special guest at the London Stadium during the match. He was introduced to the crowd on the pitch before the game and was also seen interacting with Erling Haaland.

Haaland’s familiarity with vintage Premier League culture is noteworthy, especially for overseas signings who come to England. He was actually born in Leeds while his father was pursuing his own Premier League career, and he grew up closely following English clubs. While the Di Canio incident occurred before his birth, it remains an unforgettable piece of English football history for most fans.