Haaland hat-trick, Arsenal drama: Premier League chaos live today
02.02.2026 - 10:14:57
Premier League live: City ruthless, Arsenal hanging on
Let's start with the game everyone's screaming about in the Premier League live schedule – Manchester City vs Newcastle United at the Etihad. City ran out 4-1 winners, but the scoreline only tells half the story of the chaos.
Erling Haaland was in full cheat-code mode again. He opened the scoring on 18 minutes, drifting between the centre-backs to meet a low cross from Phil Foden and stabbing it home at the near post. Newcastle hit back through Alexander Isak, who buried a cool finish past Ederson after a sharp counter on 33 minutes, but that only seemed to wake City up even more.
Just before half-time, Foden danced in from the right, slipped a disguised pass into the box, and Haaland did the rest – one touch to set, one touch to hammer it top corner for 2-1. Absolute sniper stuff. In the second half, City turned it into a statement win. On 62 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne – back looking like he'd never been away – whipped in a vicious cross that Haaland attacked for his hat-trick, thundering a header past the helpless keeper.
The fourth came late on, when substitute Julián Álvarez tapped in from close range after a cutback from Joško Gvardiol. By then, Newcastle were just trying to limit the damage. Haaland walks away with the match ball, Foden and De Bruyne pull the strings, and City send a very loud message in the title race.
Arsenal edge a thriller at the Emirates
Over in North London, Arsenal squeezed past a stubborn Brighton side in a frantic 2-1 home win that felt way tougher than Mikel Arteta would have liked.
Bukayo Saka set the tone early. On 14 minutes, he cut in from the right, played a quick one-two with Martin Ødegaard, and curled a gorgeous left-footed shot into the far corner. That's the kind of goal you replay on your phone ten times. Arsenal dominated the ball, but Brighton kept hanging around and finally punished them after the break.
On 58 minutes, a slick move down the left saw Kaoru Mitoma square for João Pedro, who arrived late in the box and swept in the equaliser. Suddenly the Emirates went from calm to nervous in about three seconds. And then came the chaos.
Arsenal thought they'd retaken the lead when Gabriel Jesus bundled the ball in from a corner on 71 minutes, only for VAR to chalk it off for a tight offside on William Saliba in the build-up. Massive boos, players surrounding the referee, the whole stadium losing its mind. That VAR call is already the big talking point of the day.
But Arsenal finally found a way. In the 88th minute, substitute Leandro Trossard punished his former club, latching onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and smashing a low shot inside the near post for 2-1. Wild celebrations, Arteta sprinting down the touchline – pure drama. Saka was electric, Ødegaard tidy, but defensively Arsenal still looked shaky when pressed.
Title race twist: pressure rising at the top
Elsewhere in the football results today round-up, Liverpool dropped points in a tense 1-1 draw away at Brentford. Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet with a clever finish after combining with Darwin Núñez, but Liverpool couldn't close it out and paid the price when Ivan Toney powered in a header from a late corner. Salah was lively but not at his ruthless best, and defensively Liverpool looked vulnerable under aerial pressure.
Put all of that together and the top of the football league table just tightened up in a big way. City's win cranks the pressure on both Arsenal and Liverpool, who suddenly can't afford a single slip. Arsenal stay alive thanks to Trossard's late strike, while Liverpool's draw feels like two points dropped.
What does this mean for the title race? City feel like they're hitting that classic late-season gear, Arsenal are grinding out wins, and Liverpool are stuck in that dangerous in-between zone. If you want to see exactly how today shifted the numbers, check the live standings below.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Stars, flops and top scorers today
In terms of top scorers today, there's only one name at the very top of the headlines: Erling Haaland. His hat-trick doesn't just boost his Golden Boot hopes, it completely tilts the momentum of the run-in. Every time City need a breakthrough, he finds a way.
Kevin De Bruyne deserves a huge shout too. Two assists, tempo control, and the kind of vision that looks unfair compared to mere mortals. On Arsenal's side, Bukayo Saka once again played like a superstar – constant threat, big goal, always the outlet. Leandro Trossard was the super-sub hero, and you know those clips are going straight onto Arsenal's social feeds.
In contrast, some big names didn't deliver. For Newcastle, Bruno Guimarães struggled to get any grip on the midfield and spent most of the game chasing shadows. Liverpool's backline, especially under set pieces, looked fragile; not a disaster, but definitely not title-winning solid.
Champions League news & what today means
With the Champions League knockout stages looming, today's action basically doubled as a stress test. City look like a side ready to go deep in Europe again – Haaland sharp, De Bruyne fit, the whole machine purring. Arsenal, for all their drama, are proving they can scrap out wins even when they’re not in full flow, which is crucial for two-legged ties.
From a broader soccer news perspective, managers will be praying their stars came through this intense round of fixtures without any knocks. Rotation, momentum, and avoiding burnout are going to be the buzzwords over the next few weeks.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and amazed at the late VAR drama and Trossard's winner
My take: City look inevitable, Arsenal look emotional
Here's the honest verdict: Manchester City look scary. When Haaland is this ruthless and De Bruyne is pinging passes around like he owns time and space, it just feels inevitable. This was a classic City performance – ruthless, composed, and absolutely clinical in front of goal.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are living on the edge. The energy at the Emirates is wild, but you can't keep conceding big chances and relying on late magic forever. In my opinion, if Arteta doesn't tighten that back line, they'll drop more points in the run-in. But if they keep grinding out wins like this, with Saka and Trossard stepping up in clutch moments, they'll stay right in the mix.
Liverpool sit somewhere between the two – good enough to compete with anyone, but right now not ruthless enough to dominate everyone. Salah will always give you goals, but unless the rest of the team matches City's and Arsenal's intensity across 90 minutes, they risk being the nearly men in this race.
Closing whistle: what's next?
So, today gave us a Haaland hat-trick, VAR chaos, late winners, and a title race that just got spicier. The football results today didn't just settle matches – they rewrote narratives. City send a warning, Arsenal survive, Liverpool stumble a bit, and everyone's already checking fixtures and calculating points in their heads.
If you want to see exactly who's on top, who's chasing, and who's in trouble, don't guess – look.
Check full stats & standings now
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