Arsenal stun Liverpool, Haaland hits four as Premier League chaos live

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-08, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? Today's soccer games in England just blew the title race wide open. Arsenal ripped into Liverpool at the Emirates, while Erling Haaland turned into a one-man goal machine again for Manchester City. The Premier League live drama is absolutely unhinged right now.

Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool – Gunners punch a hole in the title race

Emirates Stadium was shaking. Arsenal came out like a team that refused to accept second place, and Liverpool just couldn't live with the intensity.

The opener? Pure chaos. In the 14th minute, Bukayo Saka reacted quickest after a scramble in the box. Martin Ødegaard's shot was parried by Alisson, but Saka sniffed out the rebound and buried it. 1-0, and the place exploded.

Liverpool clawed back before the break thanks to a classic high press. In the 37th minute, Mohamed Salah pounced on a sloppy pass out from the back by Gabriel, drove into the area, and smashed a low finish past David Raya. That was basically Salah's one truly lethal moment – outside of the goal he was strangely quiet, often doubled up by Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice drifting across to help.

The second half was all about attitude. Arsenal came out like it was a cup final. On 57 minutes, Gabriel Jesus made it 2-1 with a sick header – Ben White whipped in an early cross, Jesus peeled off Virgil van Dijk, and nodded in at the far post. Classic centre-forward movement, and Van Dijk looked furious with himself.

The killer blow dropped late. Liverpool were chasing the equaliser, pushing Trent Alexander-Arnold high, and got smashed on the counter in the 88th minute. Leandro Trossard drove in from the left, nutmegged Ibrahima Konaté, and his shot deflected in off Alisson. 3-1 Arsenal, title race back on, North London absolutely bouncing.

Big-name verdict: Saka was sensational – goal, constant threat, winning duels all over the right flank. Ødegaard ran the tempo, pinging passes between the lines. On Liverpool's side, Salah got his goal but drifted in and out of the game. Darwin Núñez had one huge chance in the 72nd minute – a dink over Raya that clipped the bar – but his finishing again let him down. Van Dijk looked unusually rattled under Arsenal's press.

Manchester City 5-0 Brighton – Haaland hat-trick? Nah, make it four

At the Etihad, Manchester City treated this like a training drill – except Erling Haaland clearly decided it was a personal shooting session.

On 9 minutes, Haaland opened the floodgates. Kevin De Bruyne slid a perfect through ball down the inside-right channel, Haaland shrugged off Lewis Dunk and drilled it low into the far corner. 1-0 and you just knew he was hungry.

His second came from the spot in the 29th minute. A clumsy foul on Phil Foden in the box, VAR checked it for what felt like an eternity – fans were losing their minds – but the penalty stood. Haaland stepped up, smashed it top-left. Keeper guessed right, no chance.

Right before half-time, in the 44th minute, Haaland grabbed his hat-trick. De Bruyne swung in a wicked corner, Rodri flicked it on, and Haaland reacted faster than everyone to bundle it over the line from close range. Classic poacher stuff.

Second half, same story. In the 63rd minute, City countered off a Brighton corner. Foden carried it, slipped Haaland through again, and the Norwegian bulldozer thumped in his fourth with his weaker right foot. Outrageous. Brighton could only watch.

The fifth goal went to Phil Foden himself in the 78th minute – a tight one-two with Bernardo Silva on the edge of the box and a curled left-foot finish inside the far post. By then, City were just showing off.

Big-name verdict: Haaland was pure destruction – four goals, unstoppable runs, bullied every defender he saw. De Bruyne looked fully back to his genius level: two assists, constant line-breaking passes. Foden was electric between the lines. For Brighton, Kaoru Mitoma had a couple of bright dribbles but City shut him down quickly; he never got a clear sight of goal.

What this does to the football league table

So where does all this madness leave the Premier League table? Arsenal's win drags them right into the neck-and-neck zone with Liverpool and City, while City's goal fest against Brighton massively boosts their goal difference – which could be absolutely huge if the title goes down to the wire. Liverpool suddenly feel more catchable, and the pressure around Anfield is about to crank up another notch.

What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings

VAR screams, screamer goals & raw emotion

The biggest flashpoint of the day came at the Emirates. On 52 minutes, Liverpool thought they had a penalty when Núñez went down under contact from William Saliba. Ref initially pointed to the spot, Arsenal players went ballistic, and then VAR dragged the ref to the monitor.

Replay showed Núñez going down a bit too easily – slight contact, but he clearly initiated a lot of it. After a long review, the decision was overturned. High drama, Liverpool bench furious, Klopp gesturing wildly on the touchline. That VAR call flipped the whole mood: instead of Liverpool with a chance to go 2-1 up, Arsenal rode the wave of noise and scored their second minutes later through Jesus.

In Manchester, the drama was less about controversy and more about pure quality. De Bruyne nearly scored the goal of the season – a volley from outside the box in the 54th minute that slammed off the underside of the bar and bounced out. The whole stadium gasped; even the Brighton keeper just stood and watched.

Champions League news context

All of this lands right before a brutal Champions League phase. Arsenal will feel like they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in Europe when Saka and Ødegaard play like this. Liverpool, though, suddenly have question marks: can they press at this intensity every three days? And City… well, if Haaland and De Bruyne stay fit, nobody in the Champions League is sleeping easy tonight.

My take: pressure cookers and statement wins

Honestly, this felt like a statement weekend. Arsenal looked like a proper title team – aggressive, brave on the ball, and absolutely ruthless when Liverpool showed weakness. If they keep this level, they're not just hanging in the race, they're driving it.

Liverpool, on the other hand, looked a touch tired and emotionally stretched. The midfield didn't control the game, and once Arsenal turned it into a track meet, they struggled. Klopp has work to do – either he rotates harder, or this team hits a wall in the spring.

City? This is what terrifies everyone. When Haaland is in full monster mode and De Bruyne is feeding him, it doesn't even feel fair. The 5-0 wasn't just three points; it was a loud reminder that if you slip for a weekend, they'll eat up your cushion and your goal difference in 90 minutes.

Closing whistle – and where you look next

Today had everything you want from top-level soccer games: title-race tension, superstar performances, VAR fury, and fanbases melting down online. And it's only February – this is going to get even messier.

Want to see exactly how close this race is now, who's climbing into the European spots, and who's slipping towards trouble?

Check full stats & standings now

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