Haaland hat-trick carnage as Man City smash Spurs – title race live
12.02.2026 - 09:45:25
Man City 4-1 Spurs – Haaland goes full cheat mode
If you like defending, this was not the game for you. If you like pure attacking madness, this was heaven. Manchester City hammered Tottenham 4-1, with Erling Haaland scoring a devastating hat-trick and Phil Foden adding the other, while Son Heung-min hit the only reply for Spurs.
City were on it from minute one. The opener came when Kevin De Bruyne threaded a disgusting through ball between Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Haaland burst clear, shrugged off Romero and slapped a left-footed finish across Guglielmo Vicario into the far corner. 1-0, and you could feel the fear ripple through Spurs' back line.
It got worse. Spurs tried to play out, lost it in midfield, and Bernardo Silva pounced. One quick pass into Foden, a sharp one-two with Haaland, and Foden curled a gorgeous effort into the top-left corner. Phil Foden, take a bow. 2-0 and the Etihad bouncing.
Spurs did get a lifeline when James Maddison slipped a clever ball into Son Heung-min. The Korean star chopped inside RĂşben Dias and whipped a right-footed shot that brushed the inside of the post and went in. Son made it 2-1 and, for a moment, you thought: here we go again, City-Spurs chaos.
Then Haaland decided he was done with the drama.
Haaland hat-trick & VAR meltdown
City's third came from classic Haaland movement. A De Bruyne corner, a near-post dart, and Haaland powered a header past Vicario for 3-1. Romero and Van de Ven were just bouncing off him at this point.
The hat-trick moment, though, came wrapped in controversy. Manuel Akanji drove forward and fed Foden, who slid a ball through to Haaland. He went down under a challenge from Romero, the ball broke loose, and Bernardo Silva smashed it in. The Etihad exploded – only for VAR to pull it back.
After a long check, VAR ruled the foul was on Haaland inside the box before Silva's shot, so the goal was chalked off and a penalty was given instead. Spurs fans, neutrals, half of football Twitter – everyone lost it. Was it "clear and obvious"? Did it kill a beautiful goal? The law is the law but, honestly, it felt harsh on the spectacle.
Haaland didn't care. He stepped up, stared Vicario down, ran up and absolutely leathered the penalty into the top corner for his hat-trick. 4-1. Game. Over.
Stars check: Heroes & flops
- Erling Haaland – Outrageous. Three goals, bullied Romero all night, lived on the shoulder, and every touch felt like danger. Absolute monster performance.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, endless angles. His passing basically wrote the script of the match.
- Phil Foden – One lovely goal, constant menace between the lines. Spurs never picked him up.
- Son Heung-min – Took his goal brilliantly and was Spurs' only real threat. Faded as City tightened up second half.
- Cristian Romero – Rough night. Got dragged into Haaland's physical battle and lost it. Gave away the penalty that sealed it.
How this shakes up the Premier League table
This result is massive. With the three points, Manchester City crank up the pressure at the top. They move closer to the leaders and, with Haaland back in full destroyer mode, the title narrative just swung their way again.
Spurs, meanwhile, slide backwards in the chase for the Champions League spots. The high-risk, high-line gamble looked great earlier in the season, but against City's firepower it turned into a car crash. Dropped points here could be huge in May if the race for fourth goes right down to the wire.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe – big names, big noise
Across the continent, the Champions League news and wider soccer news are rumbling along, but all eyes tonight still circle back to how City's destruction job sends a message to the rest of Europe. You can bet Real Madrid and PSG are watching this Haaland showreel and taking notes.
In the "football results today" roundup, other top scorers today across the big leagues kept their numbers ticking, but nobody came close to Haaland's pure dominance. The football league table picture is shifting in England, and it's City doing the heavy lifting.
Social Media Spotlight – the web loses its mind
The second the VAR call hit and that penalty was given, social media erupted. City fans screamed justice, Spurs fans screamed robbery, neutrals just spammed replay clips. The hot topic: that VAR intervention on Haaland vs Romero and whether Bernardo Silva's strike should have stood.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the VAR penalty call on Haaland vs Romero
Reporter's take – blunt and unapologetic
In my opinion, this was one of those nights that remind everyone why City are still the standard. Pep didn't even need to reinvent anything; he just unleashed his stars and watched them cook. Haaland looked angry, hungry, and borderline unstoppable. If this is the version of him we're getting for the run-in, the rest of the league is in serious trouble.
For Spurs, it's brave football, sure, but there's a fine line between brave and reckless. The high line against Haaland, Foden and De Bruyne with space to run into felt like asking for punishment. Ange-ball is fun, but if they keep defending like this in big away games, the Champions League dream is going to slip.
The real flashpoint, though, is VAR. Personally, I hate that we lost a stunning Bernardo Silva finish to a technical decision, even if the penalty call was, by the book, correct. Football thrives on chaos and moments, and sometimes it feels like VAR is killing the vibe, not the controversy.
What's next?
The title race just turned up the volume. City look terrifying again, Spurs have questions to answer, and every rival now knows: drop points this weekend and you might not catch them.
If you're tracking football results today, top scorers today, and every tiny twist in the football league table, this one is a massive data point. Haaland's Golden Boot charge is back on, City's momentum is back, and the whole Premier League live narrative just flipped another page.
Check full stats & standings now
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@ ad-hoc-news.de
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