Haaland hat-trick chaos as City edge Chelsea in 7-goal thriller – live drama

Manchester City 4-3 Chelsea: Haaland hits a ruthless hat-trick, Palmer nearly steals the show, and the title race goes wild. What a night of soccer games.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-11, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama from your soccer games, and the Premier League just dropped a full-on blockbuster. At the Etihad, Manchester City and Chelsea went to war in a 4-3 thriller where Erling Haaland smashed a hat-trick, Cole Palmer tried to sink his old club again, and the title race swung like a pendulum in stoppage time.

Manchester City 4-3 Chelsea – Haaland goes full monster mode

This one felt more like a Champions League knockout than a February league game. From the first whistle, both sides just refused to sit back.

City struck first. In the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped one of those trademark laser passes in behind, and Erling Haaland bullied his way past Benoît Badiashile before lashing a left-foot rocket into the top corner for 1-0. Total striker's goal, pure power.

Chelsea hit right back. On 26 minutes, Cole Palmer – of course it had to be him – cut inside from the right, played a slick one-two with Enzo Fernández, and curled a left-foot finish low past Ederson for 1-1. He barely celebrated, but you could see that little smirk. Ice cold.

City regained control before the break. In the 38th minute, Phil Foden went dancing into the box, was clipped by Malo Gusto, and VAR backed the ref's penalty call after a two-minute check that had everyone fuming on both benches. Up stepped Haaland again, smashing the penalty high down the middle for 2-1.

After halftime, Chelsea refused to die. On 57 minutes, a wicked corner from Palmer found Axel Disasi, who rose highest and powered a header into the far corner for 2-2. City fans were stunned, the away end went absolutely wild.

Then came a crazy 15-minute spell. On 68 minutes, Bernardo Silva ghosted between the lines, found De Bruyne on the overlap, and the Belgian clipped a cross to the back post where Haaland bullied his way through again to nod home his hat-trick header for 3-2. Classic predator stuff – three shots, three goals.

But Chelsea still weren't done. In the 82nd minute, Palmer combined with Raheem Sterling on a rapid break. Sterling squared it perfectly and Palmer tapped into an empty net for 3-3. The celebration this time? Full arms-out, shushing gesture to the home fans. Spicy.

And then, the final punch. Deep into stoppage time (90+4), City piled everyone forward for one last assault. Foden skipped past two defenders, slipped the ball to Julián Álvarez, whose deflected shot fell kindly for Rico Lewis at the edge of the box. The youngster drilled a low shot through a crowd of bodies – deflected off Thiago Silva – and in for 4-3. The Etihad exploded. Chelsea players sank to the turf. VAR checked for offside, checked for a possible handball, checked for everything – but finally the goal stood.

Stars under the spotlight: heroes & flops

• Erling Haaland – Absolute machine. Three goals (14', 38' pen, 68'), bullied Chelsea's back line all night. Movement, strength, ice-cold finishing. This is what top scorers today look like.
• Cole Palmer – Two goals (26', 82'), and once again the calmest player in the most hostile stadium. If this was an audition to show City what they lost, he nailed it.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, nonstop creativity. When he's fit, City just look like a different animal.
• Raheem Sterling – Constant threat on the break, grabbed a big assist for Palmer's second but faded late on.
• Thiago Silva – Class on the ball, but got exposed for pace and was unlucky with the deflection on Lewis' winner.

In terms of famous names, Haaland was pure world-class tonight. This was one of those nights where he looked like he could score with every touch. On the flip side, Chelsea keeper Robert Sánchez will not want to rewatch this – beaten at his near post for the opener and rooted for the winner. At this level, tiny margins kill you.

How it shakes up the football league table

This result is massive. With that 4-3 win, Manchester City jump back to the top of the Premier League, edging ahead of their title rivals by the slimmest margin. Chelsea, meanwhile, stay stuck in mid-table, drifting away from the European spots they're supposed to be fighting for.

City's attack looks terrifying again, but the defensive wobble – conceding three at home – is still a huge talking point, especially with Champions League news heating up for their upcoming knockout ties. Chelsea can take positives from Palmer and Sterling, but moral victories won't move them up the standings.

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

VAR, chaos & the hot topic: did Chelsea get robbed?

Social media is absolutely melting down over the stoppage-time winner. Chelsea fans are convinced there was an offside in the buildup to Rico Lewis' 90+4 strike, plus a possible handball as the ball ricocheted through the box. The ref stuck with the on-field decision after a lengthy VAR check, and that's the flashpoint the entire football world is arguing about right now.

Combine that with the earlier penalty call on Malo Gusto for the foul on Foden, and you've got pure controversy fuel. Perfect storm for a social media meltdown.

Other key soccer games today

Across Europe, the fixture list was packed even without Champions League news on the night. In La Liga, Real Madrid edged a tight 1-0 away win at Sevilla, thanks to a late header from Jude Bellingham, who once again showed up in clutch time. He didn't have his best all-round game, but when the cross came in from Vinícius Júnior in the 88th minute, Bellingham attacked it like a number nine and buried it. Hero mode, again.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich cruised to a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. Harry Kane added two goals – one cool penalty and one classic poacher's finish – keeping himself right in the conversation among the top scorers today in Europe. Jamal Musiala also got on the scoresheet with a slaloming run and low finish. Bayern looked sharp, ruthless, and very much ready for their European nights.

Reporter's take: bold call time

Here's my honest read: this City side, with Haaland and De Bruyne both firing, still feels like the team to beat in the league. Defensively, they're giving up way too many big chances, but they're so ridiculously dangerous going forward that they can outscore almost anyone. When your main striker is dropping a hat-trick in a game this intense, you know you're built different.

Chelsea, though, are the wildest rollercoaster in football right now. The talent is there – Palmer looks like a superstar in the making, Sterling still has the burst, and the midfield can play. But they're switching off in the worst possible moments. In my opinion, if they don't fix their game management fast, they're going to stay stuck in this mid-table limbo, way below where a club of that size should be.

And as for the VAR drama? I get why Chelsea fans are furious, but this is modern football. Margins, angles, freeze-frames. City won because they kept pushing until the very last second. You can hate the decision, but you can't say they didn't go for the throat.

Don't blink – the race is on

If tonight is a preview of how the run-in is going to feel, then buckle up. Every point, every mistake, every late VAR check is about to matter. The Premier League live picture is shifting by the day, and the football league table is basically a rollercoaster.

Want to see exactly how this 4-3 thriller changed everything? Who's climbing, who's collapsing, and who's chasing Europe? This is where the numbers tell the full story.

Check full stats & standings now

---

Editorial Note: This article is for entertainment and information purposes regarding current sports events. Sports betting and financial investments carry risks. Please gamble responsibly. Always check odds and terms with the provider.