Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Spurs in five-goal Premier League live thriller
11.02.2026 - 11:08:29
From the first whistle, you could feel it: this wasn't going to be a quiet night at the Etihad. City needed three points to keep the pressure on at the top, Spurs were desperate to stay in the Champions League race, and the level of chaos we got was pure box office.
Haaland goes full monster mode
Erling Haaland didn't just show up, he basically dragged the entire game into his own personal highlight reel. His first goal was classic Haaland: on 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass through the lines, Haaland bullied his marker out of the way and smashed low past the keeper from just inside the box. One touch to set, one touch to destroy. 1-0 City.
The second came right before half-time and felt like a gut punch for Spurs. In the 44th minute, a deep cross from Phil Foden picked out Haaland at the back post. He peeled off brilliantly, powered above the defender and buried a towering header. 2-0, and it looked like City were cruising.
But this is the Premier League. Nothing is ever that simple.
Spurs fight back: Son and Kulusevski light it up
Tottenham refused to die. On 56 minutes, they caught City napping with a rapid counter. Heung-Min Son started it in his own half, burst through midfield, played a one-two with James Maddison, then finished low across the keeper. Clinical. 2-1 and suddenly the mood inside the stadium flipped.
City got rattled, started overplaying at the back, and Spurs smelled blood. In the 69th minute, it was Dejan Kulusevski who made it 2-2, arriving late in the box to bury a cutback from Pedro Porro. The away end absolutely exploded. For a couple of minutes, you could feel that "oh no" energy from the home fans — the kind of thing that makes soccer games feel like pure chaos instead of a tactical exercise.
The decisive moment: Haaland hat-trick & VAR fury
Then came the sequence everyone is screaming about right now.
In the 82nd minute, City thought they'd won it when Foden went down on the edge of the box after a tangle with Cristian Romero. The ref waved play on, and while Spurs were busy appealing for a foul for them, City recycled the ball. De Bruyne collected it, slipped another ruthless through ball into space, and Haaland raced clear.
The linesman's flag went up for offside as Haaland slotted past the keeper, but VAR stepped in. After a long, tense check, the goal was given — the replay showed Haaland just about level with the last defender. Hat-trick confirmed. 3-2 City. Spurs players were fuming, Ange Postecoglou lost his mind on the touchline, and X is now one giant argument about offside lines.
Haaland's numbers tonight were unreal: three goals, constant movement, bullying centre-backs for 90 minutes. This was prime Haaland, the version that makes you wonder how anyone is supposed to stop him over a full season.
Big stars under the spotlight: heroes & flops
De Bruyne? Pure conductor. Two assists, plus about three other passes that deserved to be finished. His vision between the lines is still completely unfair. You can tell City's entire attacking rhythm goes up a level when he's on the pitch.
On the flip side, Spurs' defending was chaos. Romero kept drifting too tight to Haaland, leaving gaps in behind, and their full-backs were constantly outnumbered. Guglielmo Vicario actually had a solid game in goal despite conceding three — he stopped Haaland from having four or five with a couple of massive one-on-ones.
Son carried the Spurs attack as usual. One goal, non-stop running, dragging City's backline all over the place. Maddison had good flashes but faded late on, and that's exactly when you need your big creators to step up.
Title race shockwaves: where this leaves the table
This win is huge for Manchester City in the football league table picture. Dropping points here would have given their rivals a massive opening, but instead they keep the pressure right at the top. Spurs, meanwhile, stay stuck in that brutal race for the final Champions League spots, and nights like this can come back to haunt you in May.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
If you're obsessing over every point (and honestly, who isn't at this stage?), that live table is your best friend and worst enemy rolled into one.
Other headline soccer games today
Across Europe, it wasn't just about City vs Spurs. The Champions League news radar also buzzed as top teams tuned up their form ahead of midweek fixtures.
In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again delivered for Real Madrid with a late winner in a tight La Liga clash. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box, shifted it onto his right and whipped a curling shot into the far corner. Another big moment from a guy who basically lives for drama.
Over in France, Kylian Mbappé was on the scoresheet again for PSG, smashing home a penalty after winning it himself with a lightning burst into the box. Classic "I'll do it myself" energy. It wasn't his most spectacular performance, but he still decided the game — which probably says everything about his level.
And if you're hunting the top scorers today across the big leagues, one look at the live stats tells you Haaland and Mbappé are still writing their own party at the top of the charts.
Social Media Spotlight
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the VAR offside that sealed Haaland's hat-trick winner
My take: this felt like a statement win
From a young reporter's point of view, this felt bigger than just three points. City didn't play their cleanest football, they let Spurs back into it, but when it got really wild they still found a way through — and it was their superstar striker and their best playmaker dragging them over the line.
If you're Spurs, you walk away furious. You got back to 2-2, you had City wobbling, and then a razor-thin offside call and one lapse in concentration kills you. The mentality is improving, but the big-game details still aren't there. In my opinion, if they want to be serious top-four regulars again, the defensive structure has to level up fast.
For City, this is exactly the kind of chaotic win that title-winning seasons are built on. Not every week can be a smooth 4-0. Sometimes it's about surviving the storm, leaning on your world-class monsters, and taking the ugly three points. That's what tonight was.
What's next?
With fixtures coming thick and fast and Champions League knockout nights just around the corner, this result cranks the tension up across Europe. Every goal, every VAR call, every slip in concentration is now magnified. If you love living inside the drama of soccer news, this is the stretch of the season you live for.
Watch how this City win reshapes the top of the table, keep an eye on Spurs' response next week, and don't sleep on what Madrid and PSG are cooking either. The big stars are all heating up at the same time — which usually means madness is incoming.
Check full stats & standings now
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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