Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Spurs in Premier League live thriller
Veröffentlicht: 24.01.2026 um 20:43 Uhr, Redaktion AD HOC NEWS, Redaktionelle Verantwortung: Rafael Müller (Chefredaktion)
Man City 3–2 Spurs – Haaland hat-trick and late VAR meltdown
This one had everything: a ruthless striker, a brave away side, and a refereeing storm that has social media going nuclear.
City flew out of the blocks. On 12 minutes, Erling Haaland struck first, bullying Cristian Romero off the ball before smashing a left-footed finish low past the keeper. Then, on 31 minutes, it was 2–0 – Kevin De Bruyne slid in a filthy through ball, Haaland timed his run to perfection and dinked his second over the onrushing goalkeeper. Two shots, two goals. Pure number 9 carnage.
But Spurs refused to roll over. Just before half-time, they hit back. Heung-Min Son ghosted in from the left, combined neatly with James Maddison, and Son curled a right-footed beauty into the far corner on 43 minutes. Totally against the run of play, but it changed the whole mood of the game.
Second half, the pressure flipped. Ange-ball kicked in. On 63 minutes, Spurs stunned the Etihad. A Maddison corner wasn’t cleared, the ball bounced to Dejan Kulusevski at the edge of the box and he lashed it in via a deflection. Suddenly it was 2–2, City were rattled, and the away fans were bouncing like they were in a European night.
That’s when Haaland decided he’d had enough.
On 79 minutes, De Bruyne whipped in a wicked cross from the right. Haaland attacked the near post like a freight train, got across his marker and thumped in a towering header for his hat-trick. 3–2 City. The celebration? Arms out, Etihad roaring, Spurs backline staring at each other in disbelief. This is exactly why he keeps topping the top scorers today charts.
Haaland hero, Son heartbreaker, De Bruyne still a cheat code
Let’s be real: Haaland was unplayable. Every run felt like a goal waiting to happen. His movement between Romero and Van de Ven was brutal, he bullied them for the opener, then finished clinically twice more. Three goals, eight shots, constant panic – this is golden boot-level form.
Kevin De Bruyne might not be on the scoresheet, but he was the architect. Two assists, multiple key passes, and that trademark whipped delivery that defenders absolutely hate. Any time City looked stuck, he dropped a shoulder, found a pocket and unlocked Spurs’ lines.
On the Spurs side, Son was excellent. One gorgeous goal, a constant outlet on the break, and he nearly made it 3–3 in stoppage time with a low drive that Ederson had to tip wide. James Maddison quietly ran the show between the lines – involvement in both goals, clever pressing, and nasty set-piece delivery.
VAR steals the spotlight: was it a penalty or a dive?
The real explosion though came on 90+3 minutes. Spurs thought they had a lifeline when Son burst into the box and went down under a tangle with RĂşben Dias. The referee pointed to the spot, Etihad fell silent, and the away end went berserk.
Then came the dreaded rectangle signal. VAR check. Slow-mo after slow-mo. From one angle it looked like clear contact from Dias on the shin; from another, it looked like Son initiated the collision. After a long review, the on-field decision was overturned. No penalty. City held on, Spurs players lost it, and the bench was raging on the touchline.
That decision is the Hot Topic of the night. Is it a dive? Soft contact? Clear foul? Depending on the shirt you wear, you’re seeing something completely different. But one thing’s for sure: the referee and VAR team will be trending on every platform tonight.
Title race twist – where does this leave the football league table?
This result is massive for the Premier League title race. With City grabbing all three points and their rivals dropping points elsewhere in today’s soccer games, the blue side of Manchester tightens its grip near the top. Haaland’s hat-trick doesn’t just win the game, it rockets him back toward the summit of the golden boot standings too.
Spurs, meanwhile, stay right in the mix for the Champions League spots but miss a huge chance to take a statement scalp away from home. That overturned penalty could be the moment everyone points to in May if they miss out by a single point.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Quickfire around Europe – Champions League chasers and form watch
Across Europe, the teams you expect to dominate the Champions League news kept their engines warm. In Spain, Jude Bellingham pulled the strings in midfield again, dictating tempo and almost grabbing a late winner with a header that shaved the post. In France, Kylian Mbappé was quieter than usual but still managed an assist with a cutback that split the defence wide open. Not full superhero mode from them today, but nowhere near flop territory either – more like controlled, “save the legs for Europe” performances.
These displays matter when you look at how the football league table is shaping up across the big leagues. Every point, every goal difference swing, it all feeds into seeding, confidence, and the narrative heading into the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over that last-minute VAR penalty reversal
My take: City are ruthless, but the controversy won’t die quickly
From a young reporter’s eye test, this felt like City at their most ruthless and their most vulnerable at the same time. Going forward, they’re terrifying – Haaland’s movement, De Bruyne’s vision, the sheer inevitability once they smell blood. Defensively though, they still leave the door open. Spurs didn’t need many chances to score twice, and better finishing could’ve made this a completely different match report.
As for the VAR call – in my opinion, if you’re giving that pen live, you need something mega clear to overturn it. I don’t think we saw that. For me, that should’ve stood and Son should’ve had the chance to make it 3–3 from the spot. City fans will say “justice done”, Spurs fans will call it daylight robbery. Both sides have a case, but the bigger issue is how often the technology is becoming the main character instead of the players.
Still, if you’re neutral, this is why you watch live soccer games – big stars, big stakes, and drama that doesn’t stop when the whistle goes.
Closing whistle – the title chase is officially insane
So where are we after this crazy night? Haaland storms back into the top scorers race, City plant another flag in the title hunt, and Spurs walk away fuming but still very much alive in the Champions League chase. Meanwhile, across Europe, Bellingham, Mbappé and the usual suspects keep quietly tuning up for the knockout rounds.
If you want the full picture – not just the highlights, but the numbers behind the narrative – you’ve got to stare at that table.
Check full stats & standings now
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