Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Liverpool in Premier League live thriller

Man City outgun Liverpool in a 7-goal classic, Haaland hits a hat-trick, Salah answers back – but one huge VAR call has everyone raging. Who really deserved it?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... We’ve got football results today that feel like a whole season packed into 90 minutes. The headline drama? At the Etihad, Manchester City 4-3 Liverpool in a ridiculous Premier League live showdown where Erling Haaland smashed a hat-trick, Mohamed Salah dragged Liverpool back into it, and a late VAR penalty call has the entire internet losing its mind.

Man City 4-3 Liverpool – Haaland goes berserk, VAR steals the show

This one was pure chaos from the first whistle. City drew first blood early: in the 9th minute, a slick move saw Kevin De Bruyne thread a filthy through ball into the box, Haaland shrugged off his marker and drilled it low into the far corner. 1-0, Erling Haaland, and you just knew he wasn’t done.

But Liverpool hit back the only way they know. On 22 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold found space high on the right, whipped in a teasing ball that deflected kindly, and Mohamed Salah pounced, smashing a left-footed finish past Ederson for 1-1. Old rivalry, same killers on the scoresheet.

City responded with that brutal, suffocating pressure. In the 37th minute, a De Bruyne corner caused chaos, the ball bounced around the six-yard box and Haaland reacted fastest again, stabbing home from close range for his second of the game. 2-1 City, Haaland again, and the Etihad was bouncing.

Right after halftime, Pep’s men looked to have killed it off. On 54 minutes, a sweeping team move featuring De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Foden ended with Foden sliding a pass across the box. Haaland timed his run to perfection and rolled in his hat-trick goal for 3-1. Classic number 9 stuff – movement, strength, and that ice-cold finish.

But you never write off Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp threw everything forward. On 68 minutes, substitute Darwin Núñez made instant impact, bullying his way down the left and cutting back for Diogo Jota, who slammed it home to make it 3-2. Game back on, nerves jangling.

Then came the biggest flashpoint. In the 79th minute, Núñez broke into the box and went down under a challenge from Rúben Dias. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR sent him to the monitor. After a long, tense check, the penalty was given. Liverpool fans screaming "justice", City players absolutely furious.

Mohamed Salah stepped up, waited for Ederson to move, and calmly rolled it into the opposite corner. 3-3. The away end exploded, and social media went nuclear over whether there was actually enough contact for the spot-kick.

But the script had one more twist. In the 89th minute, City launched one final attack. De Bruyne lifted a wicked cross to the back post, where substitute Julián Álvarez ghosted in and nodded it back across goal. The ball fell to Phil Foden, who smashed a half-volley into the roof of the net. 4-3 City, absolute bedlam. Klopp sank to his knees, Pep sprinted down the touchline like it was a Champions League final.

Heroes & flops: big names under the spotlight

Erling Haaland was a one-man wrecking crew. Three goals, constant movement, bullying centre-backs all game – a classic "give me the match ball" performance. If there was any debate about who the top scorer today was in the league, he just ended it.

Kevin De Bruyne might not have scored, but he was the conductor. Two assists, multiple line-breaking passes, and basically running the whole tempo of City’s attack. When he’s in this mood, the game feels like it belongs to him.

For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah was once again the guy. One goal from open play, one nerveless penalty – he dragged Liverpool back into it when they looked cooked. Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota also changed the game off the bench, with Núñez winning that massively controversial penalty and Jota providing the clinical finish for 3-2.

Defensively though? Both sides were a mess. Rúben Dias and Virgil van Dijk both had rough evenings, constantly dealing with runners spinning in behind. Van Dijk in particular looked exposed when City overloaded the half-spaces, and Liverpool’s back line just never felt in control.

What it means for the Premier League title race

This result blows the top of the Premier League wide open. City’s win keeps them right in the hunt and might even send them back to the summit depending on other football results today. Liverpool, meanwhile, lose crucial ground in the title fight and now have almost zero margin for error in their remaining fixtures.

City’s attacking firepower looks unstoppable, but the way they conceded three will worry Pep, especially with Champions League news and knockout ties looming. Klopp, on the other hand, has to somehow fix a defence that can’t stop leaking goals in big away games.

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

Other key football results today

Across the rest of the league, the drama didn’t slow down. In London, Arsenal kept their push alive with a tight win at the Emirates. Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United, with Bukayo Saka cutting inside to curl in a beauty and Gabriel Jesus adding a scrappy close-range finish. Newcastle’s reply came from Alexander Isak, who stayed ice-cold to slot past the keeper after a quick counter.

Saka was electric all game – constantly driving at his full-back, drawing fouls, and firing shots. Not just a top scorer today candidate, but also one of the clearest difference-makers in the league right now.

Meanwhile, over in Spain, Real Madrid stayed locked in a fierce battle at the top of La Liga. Real Madrid 3-1 Villarreal, with Jude Bellingham once again the star attraction. He rose highest for a thumping header, while Vinícius Júnior danced through two defenders to add another. Villarreal’s only goal came from Gerard Moreno, but it was never enough to derail Madrid’s momentum.

Bellingham just keeps putting up Champions League-level performances in the domestic league – his timing in the box is almost striker-like, and his confidence on the ball is off the charts.

Social Media Spotlight: VAR chaos & Haaland obsession

The online reaction to City vs Liverpool has been wild. The main "Hot Topic"? That VAR penalty for the Núñez-Dias clash. Half the fanbase is convinced it was a clear penalty, the other half swearing it’s soft and ruins the game. Add in a Haaland hat-trick and you’ve got a full-blown social media storm.

My take: title-defining chaos

From a reporter’s eye, this felt like one of those nights we’ll look back on as season-defining. Manchester City weren’t perfect, but they had enough world-class quality in Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden to outscore the chaos. Liverpool showed heart and character, but you simply can’t ship four goals in a supposed title decider and expect to walk away happy.

In my opinion, Klopp’s game plan was too open for a side like City away from home. Yes, it made for a ridiculous spectacle, but if Liverpool seriously want the trophy, they have to be a bit more streetwise in these heavyweight clashes.

As for City, this is exactly why everyone fears them. Even when they wobble, they’ve got enough firepower to simply blow you away. If Haaland keeps hitting numbers like this and De Bruyne stays fit, it’s hard to see anyone keeping pace over the full distance.

What’s next?

With more fixtures coming fast and European nights on the horizon, today’s results are going to echo through the rest of the season. The football league table is shifting, the top scorers are hitting insane numbers, and every slip now feels like a potential title killer.

To really see how brutal this win/loss swing is for both City and Liverpool, you’ve got to look at the live table and the form curves.

Check full stats & standings now

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