Haaland Hat-Trick Chaos as Man City Edge Spurs in 5-Goal Premier League Thriller Live
21.02.2026 - 18:14:44 | ad-hoc-news.de
Spurs 2-3 Man City – Haaland turns up, VAR steals the spotlight
From the first whistle this felt like one of those nights. Spurs came flying out, pressing like mad, and they got their reward early. In the 12th minute, Son Heung-min slipped in James Maddison, whose low shot was parried by Ederson, only for Richarlison to pounce and smash home the rebound for 1-0. The stadium absolutely erupted.
But if there’s one thing you don’t do in modern football, it’s poke the Haaland bear. Just eight minutes later, Kevin De Bruyne clipped one of those trademark balls over the top, and Erling Haaland bullied his way between Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, chesting the ball down before drilling it bottom corner for 1-1. Classic Haaland: one chance, one goal.
City then started to treat it like a training drill. In the 34th minute, they put together a 22-pass move that ended with Phil Foden feeding Bernardo Silva in half-space. Bernardo cut it back from the byline and there was Haaland again, ghosting off his marker and side-footing in from six yards for 2-1. Two shots, two goals – and City in total control.
Spurs, though, refused to fold. Right after the break they cranked the tempo up. In the 53rd minute, Maddison floated in a wicked free-kick, Romero rose highest, his header crashed off the bar, and Son Heung-min reacted fastest to tap home the rebound for 2-2. The place went wild; Ange-ball was back on script.
That set the tone for a furious end-to-end second half. De Bruyne was threading passes for fun, while Maddison and Son kept yanking City’s back line all over the place. The most famous players were fully in the spotlight: Haaland hunting his hat-trick, Son dragging his team up the pitch, De Bruyne dictating everything, and Foden constantly drifting into pockets. No passengers, just pure quality.
The decisive moment – Haaland hat-trick and a VAR storm
The moment that’s blowing up every social feed came in the 82nd minute. City broke at speed from a Spurs corner, Foden sprinting 60 yards with the ball, slipping it to De Bruyne on the left. KDB chopped inside and curled in a teasing cross. Haaland, of course, was exactly where you’d expect: between center-backs, timing his leap perfectly and thundering a header into the top corner for his hat-trick. 3-2 City. Ice-cold, absolutely lethal.
But the drama didn’t stop there. In stoppage time, Spurs thought they’d grabbed an equaliser. Sub Dejan Kulusevski drove into the box, clipped a cross to the back post, and Richarlison bundled the ball over the line. The stadium exploded – for about 20 seconds. Then came the dreaded check: VAR.
The replay showed Son just a foot offside in the build-up. After a long review, the goal was ruled out. Spurs fans were furious, City players were screaming for full-time, and social media instantly went into meltdown. From the City angle, it’s the right call. From Spurs’ side, it feels like robbery. Either way, that offside line graphic is going to haunt highlight reels all week.
Heroes, flops, and big-name verdicts
- Erling Haaland – Absolute monster. Three goals, three ruthless finishes, nonstop movement. He bullied the Spurs back line all night. This is the terrifying Haaland that decides title races.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, could’ve had more. His passing range is still video-game level. Every dangerous City attack had his fingerprints on it.
- Phil Foden – Not on the scoresheet but constantly breaking lines and dragging defenders out of position. A mature, intelligent performance.
- Son Heung-min – A goal, relentless running, and big leadership energy. He kept Spurs alive when City looked ready to run away with it.
- Richarlison – Took his goal well and thought he’d bagged a second right at the end. Still, his all-round hold-up play was solid. Harsh to leave with nothing.
Defensively, Romero and van de Ven had moments but couldn’t live with Haaland’s movement in the box. On City’s side, Ruben Dias looked oddly shaky under Spurs’ high press, and Kyle Walker was caught high a few times. This wasn’t a clean win – it was a statement that City can survive chaos and still come out on top.
What this does to the football league table
This result is massive in the title race. City’s win pushes them back to the top of the Premier League, edging two points clear of their closest rivals, while Spurs slip further away from the top four chase and into a real scrap for those European spots. The momentum swing is huge: City look like a machine again, while Spurs are stuck between brave and naive.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in today's soccer games
Across Europe, the Champions League news cycle is already humming. With knockout ties looming, managers will be sweating over minutes and momentum. City’s form tonight sends a loud message to the rest of the continent: if Haaland and De Bruyne are humming like this, nobody will want them in the draw.
In LaLiga, Jude Bellingham continued to be the main headline magnet, bagging a late winner for Real Madrid in a cagey 1-0 win over Valencia at the Bernabéu. Bellingham arrived late into the box in the 86th minute to sweep home a low cross from Vinícius Júnior – another clutch moment that keeps Madrid sitting pretty at the top of the table. That’s his new normal: not just a midfielder, but a closer.
In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé was strangely quiet in PSG's 1-1 draw away at Lyon. He did score a penalty in the 21st minute, but outside of that he drifted in and out of the game, missing a big one?on?one in the second half that could’ve sealed it. For a player of his standards, that counts as a mild flop tonight, especially with Champions League knockouts right around the corner.
Social Media Spotlight
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the late VAR offside that killed Spurs' equaliser
Reporter's take: this felt like a mini final
From my seat, this wasn’t just another league game – it felt like a mini final with title-race tension and Champions League intensity. City showed exactly why they're serial winners: even when the game gets wild, they lean on their stars and find a way. Haaland looked angry in the best possible way, De Bruyne looked like he's rewound the clock, and that combination usually means everyone else is in trouble.
Spurs, though, walked off with that broken look of a team that played brave football but still got punished by elite efficiency. In my opinion, Ange Postecoglou shouldn't change the philosophy – this is who Spurs are now – but they badly need more composure in both boxes. The shape is fun, the intensity is real, but against killers like Haaland, you can't leave an inch.
The hot topic – that VAR call – will run all night, but the bigger story is City’s mentality. These are the kinds of nights champions survive.
Closing whistle
So, as of tonight, the title race just tilted a little more sky blue, the top scorers today added some ridiculous numbers, and the drama level is off the charts. If this is how late February looks, the run?in is going to be pure chaos.
Check full stats & standings now
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