Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Spurs 4-3 in wild live thriller

Seven-goal insanity in Manchester as Haaland bags a hat-trick, Son runs riot, and the title race twists again. But did VAR nearly flip it all late on?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama from today's soccer games, you 100% got it. The Premier League served up a full-blown classic at the Etihad as Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham turned into a goal-fest that could end up defining the title race.

Seven-goal madness: Man City 4-3 Spurs

This one was chaos from minute one. Manchester City thought they had it under control, then lost it, then grabbed it back right at the death. Erling Haaland was the headline act – a brutal, ruthless hat-trick that reminded everyone why he's the most terrifying striker on the planet right now.

City actually started nervy. Spurs hit first: in the 8th minute, a slick transition saw Son Heung-min explode in behind, cut inside John Stones and rifle a low right-footed shot beyond Ederson for 0-1. Pure Son – ice cold, one chance, one goal.

But you can't switch off against this City side. On 19 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy disguised pass between the lines, Haaland spun off Cristian Romero and smashed a left-footed finish high into the roof of the net. Goal: Erling Haaland, assist De Bruyne – textbook City.

Spurs tried to press high, and they paid for it again on 34 minutes. Bernardo Silva stole the ball, slid it wide to Phil Foden, whose cut-back found Haaland ghosting between the centre-backs. One touch to set, second touch to bury it low into the bottom corner. Goal: Erling Haaland again, 2-1 City, Etihad rocking.

Right before half-time, though, Spurs punched back. A deep Pedro Porro cross was headed down by Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski arrived late to lash home from 12 yards. Goal: Dejan Kulusevski. 2-2 at the break, both sets of fans buzzing, neutrals in heaven.

Second-half fireworks & VAR chaos

The second half went full bonkers. City came out like a storm. In the 57th minute, Foden drove at the back line, slipped in Julián Álvarez, whose shot was parried by Vicario straight into the path of – who else – Haaland. Tap-in. Hat-trick. Goal: Erling Haaland (third), 3-2 City, Viking mode fully activated.

But Spurs just refused to die. On 72 minutes, Son dragged them level again with a moment of pure class. Collecting the ball 25 yards out, he shaped to curl, chopped inside Rúben Dias, and bent a wicked shot into the far top corner. Goal: Son Heung-min, an absolute screamer. 3-3, and suddenly you could feel the nerves creeping around the Etihad.

Then came the controversy. On 84 minutes, City thought they'd won a penalty when Foden went down under a Romero challenge. Ref pointed to the spot, Spurs players went ballistic, and VAR jumped in. After a long check, the decision was overturned – minimal contact, Foden already on his way down. The stadium erupted with boos, Guardiola was losing his mind on the touchline, and X was instantly flooded with furious takes from both sides.

But City weren't done. Deep into stoppage time, a recycled corner dropped to De Bruyne at the edge of the box. Instead of shooting, he clipped a teasing ball to the back post where substitute Jérémy Doku had peeled away. Doku nodded it back across goal and Bernardo Silva arrived to poke it home from close range. Goal: Bernardo Silva, 90+3'. 4-3 City. Absolute scenes.

Stars: heroes and flops

• Erling Haaland (Man City) – Hero of the night. Clinical hat-trick, bullied the Spurs defence, lived in their box. On this form, he's basically a cheat code.
• Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Not on the scoresheet, but two assists and the composure to pick out Doku on the winner. When he's fit, City just look different.
• Phil Foden (Man City) – Constant menace between the lines. Won (and then lost) that massive VAR penalty call, but his movement shredded Spurs.
• Son Heung-min (Spurs) – Captain, finisher, leader. Two brilliantly-taken goals and dragged his team into the fight over and over.
• Cristian Romero (Spurs) – Mixed bag. Some huge blocks, but got dragged around by Haaland all game. When you concede four, your centre-back is never walking away happy.

What it means for the Premier League title race

This result keeps Manchester City right in the thick of the title hunt. Drop points here and the door would have been wide open for their rivals, but instead they grind out a wild 4-3 that screams "champions mentality." Spurs, meanwhile, stay in that chaotic scrap for European spots – amazing going forward, still too fragile at the back.

With City snatching all three points, they close the gap on the league leaders and crank up the pressure ahead of the weekend fixtures. Goal difference, head-to-head, games in hand – everything's in play right now, and every single point feels massive.

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

Elsewhere in today's soccer games

Across Europe, the goals kept flying in. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham was back doing Jude Bellingham things for Real Madrid, ghosting into the box to score a late header in a tight 2-1 win. In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé had a quieter night by his insane standards – one assist, no goal – as PSG ground out a 1-0 win thanks to a long-range rocket from Vitinha. Not a flop, but you could tell he was frustrated not to be on the scoresheet.

And in Italy, the title chase stayed spicy as Inter edged a 2-1 win with Lautaro Martínez scoring again, keeping himself right in the mix for the top scorers today across Europe.

Social Media Spotlight: fans are losing it

The internet went absolutely nuclear over that overturned City penalty. Was it soft? Was it a clear dive? Was Romero lucky? That VAR call has become the talking point of the night.

My take: this is why we’re obsessed with this sport

In my opinion, this was peak modern Premier League: elite attackers, chaotic defending, and VAR sitting right in the middle like gasoline on a bonfire. City looked vulnerable, but champions don't care how it looks – they find a way. Haaland sending another message in the Golden Boot race, De Bruyne pulling strings, and Bernardo turning up clutch in stoppage time… that's title-winning DNA.

For Spurs, it's the same old story: incredible going forward, but you can't keep conceding soft goals and expect to live with the absolute elite. Son and Kulusevski were immense, and they absolutely deserved something from the game, but if you leave Haaland that much space, you're basically writing your own horror script.

From a pure entertainment point of view though? Absolute world-class. This is the kind of match that ends up in those "Premier League Classics" compilations you binge on YouTube at 2 a.m.

Don’t blink – the season is tilting

The title race, the Champions League spots, the relegation scrap – everything just got that little bit more intense after tonight. City's late winner keeps the pressure cranked all the way up, and every club looking at that football league table right now knows: one bad week and your whole season flips.

Check full stats & standings now

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