Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Spurs in 7-goal Premier League live thriller
03.02.2026 - 12:00:28
Man City 4-3 Spurs – Haaland turns chaos into points
This one had everything: seven goals, a nervy finish, a controversial VAR check, and a superstar stepping up when it really mattered.
City flew out of the blocks. On 12 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch to set, one touch to bury it low past the keeper for 1-0. Ice cold. Just eight minutes later, it was 2-0: Phil Foden ghosted in at the back post to tap home after Bernardo Silva whipped a teasing ball across the six-yard box.
Spurs, though, refused to fold. On 31 minutes, Heung-Min Son cut inside from the left and unleashed a wicked right-foot strike that deflected off Rúben Dias and wrong-footed Ederson for 2-1. Suddenly the away end woke up, and you could feel the nerves creeping into City's back line.
Right before half-time, the first huge flashpoint: Son raced onto a long ball and went down under a tangle with Manuel Akanji in the box. The referee initially waved it away, but VAR called him to the monitor. After a long, tense check, the penalty was not given – the stadium exploded, both benches were raging, and social media instantly lit up with slow-motion replays and freeze frames of the contact.
That decision looked even bigger when City struck early in the second half. On 53 minutes, De Bruyne volleyed a loose ball back across goal and Haaland launched himself between two defenders to power a header into the roof of the net. 3-1 City, and the Norwegian had his brace. You could almost feel the Golden Boot rivals sinking in their seats.
But this was nowhere near over. Spurs hit back on 63 minutes when Richarlison pounced on a loose touch from Ederson, robbed possession, and finished from a tight angle for 3-2. City's control was slipping, and suddenly every clearance felt panicked.
Then came the madness. In the 79th minute, substitute Dejan Kulusevski curled in a wicked cross, and Son met it at the near post with a glancing header to make it 3-3. Total silence in the home stands, except for Pep Guardiola screaming instructions from the touchline. From cruising at 2-0, City were now staring at a brutal two points dropped in the title race.
Cometh the hour, cometh the monster. On 88 minutes, Foden danced into the box and was clipped by Pedro Porro. The ref instantly pointed to the spot as Spurs players lost their minds, claiming minimal contact. VAR had another long look, re-checking the angle, but the decision stood. Up stepped Haaland.
Top scorers today don't get much more clinical than this. The Norwegian smashed the penalty into the top-left corner for his hat-trick, 4-3 City, cue absolute bedlam. Hat-trick hero, match-winner, and maybe season-defining… again.
Stars under the spotlight
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Outrageous. Three goals, constant movement, bullying centre-backs all game. This was pure predator mode and a statement performance in the Golden Boot chase.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, complete control of the tempo, and still the brain of Pep's machine. When he's fit, City just look different.
- Phil Foden – One goal, won the late penalty, popping up everywhere between the lines. Quietly turning into the guy for City in big moments.
- Heung-Min Son (Spurs) – Two huge contributions, one goal and one disallowed-penalty controversy. Constant threat in behind, and at the heart of the VAR debate that's blowing up online.
As soccer news stories go, this one is going to be replayed on highlight reels for weeks. It's the kind of wild Premier League live drama that reminds you why you sit through all the cagey 0-0s.
What it means for the football league table
So what does this classic do to the bigger picture? City's win keeps them right on top of the football league table, edging their closest rivals by a narrow margin instead of slipping into a mini-crisis. Spurs, meanwhile, stay locked in a brutal fight for those Champions League places – dropped points but a performance that shows they can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Every point now is pure gold. One sloppy draw here, one late winner there – and the entire title race resets. City's ability to grind out wins in insane soccer games like this is exactly why they&aposre always in the conversation when we talk Champions League news and domestic dominance.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – VAR rage & Haaland hype
While the players were catching their breath, the internet was absolutely melting down.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
On X, #MCITOT is full of freeze frames of Son going down, people drawing imaginary lines, and others just spamming Haaland memes. Instagram is all about the City dressing-room scenes, with the big striker grinning with the match ball, while Spurs fans flood the comments with "robbed" and fire emojis. And YouTube? It's already stacked with compilations of every touch, every tackle, every goal from this madness.
My take: City ruthless, Spurs unlucky but not blameless
From a reporter's seat, here's the honest truth: City didn't defend well, but they&aposre absolutely brutal in both boxes – and that's usually what wins titles. Haaland was on another planet, De Bruyne looked like he'd never been injured in his life, and Foden continues to play like he&aposs carrying the keys to the entire project.
Spurs have every right to complain about that first-half VAR decision – there was contact, and on another day it's a penalty. But you can't ship four goals and expect sympathy forever. Son and Richarlison were lethal, yet defensively they collapsed in the decisive moments, especially letting Foden dance into the box so late on.
In my opinion, if City keep grinding out results in wild soccer games like this, the rest of the league is in trouble. They don't need to be perfect; they just need Haaland to stay healthy and De Bruyne to keep feeding him. For Spurs, this can't turn into one of those "brave loss" nights that they never build on. The performance was there, but the points weren't – and the football league table will not remember how good they looked for 20 minutes.
Final whistle – and what's next
So yeah, if you missed this one, you missed one of the wildest Premier League live showcases of the season. Hat-tricks, controversy, seven goals, late drama – pure chaos in the best way. The title race just got another twist, the top scorers table just got another Haaland spike, and Spurs are left wondering what might have been.
Don't just read about it – dive into the numbers, the gaps, the goal difference swings, and where your team really stands in this crazy season.
Check full stats & standings now
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