Haaland, City

Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Spurs in 7-goal Premier League live epic

04.02.2026 - 17:00:18 | ad-hoc-news.de

Erling Haaland explodes with a ruthless hat-trick, but late VAR drama and Son Heung-min nearly flip the script in a wild Man City vs Spurs showdown.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games that feel more like a storm than a match, Manchester City vs Tottenham just delivered a full-on earthquake at the Etihad. Goals flying in, VAR sirens blaring, stars stepping up and choking under pressure – this one had absolutely everything.

The headline: Manchester City 4–3 Tottenham Hotspur. And of course, the main character was Erling Haaland, smashing in a brutal hat-trick while Son Heung-min almost dragged Spurs to a ridiculous comeback. If you blinked, you missed something massive.

Man City 4–3 Spurs – Haaland the machine, chaos everywhere

From the first whistle, you knew this wasn’t going to be a calm night. City flew out like they were insulted by the league table, pressing Spurs back and turning every loose ball into a chance.

14' – 1–0 City. Classic City move: Kevin De Bruyne slices Spurs open with one of those filthy through balls, Haaland peels off the centre-back and just buries it low into the bottom corner. Zero backlift, pure violence. Keeper has no chance.

23' – 2–0 City. This time it’s from a corner. De Bruyne whips it in, Rúben Dias wins the first header, ball drops in the chaos and Haaland reacts fastest, snapping in his second from close range. Spurs defenders look like mannequins. Two shots, two goals. Robot mode activated.

But if you thought it was over, you clearly haven’t watched enough Spurs.

31' – 2–1. A lightning counter. James Maddison slips a clever pass into Son, who angles his run perfectly and whips a right-footed finish across Ederson into the far corner. That’s elite finishing. Totally against the run of play, but suddenly it’s a game again.

41' – 2–2. And here comes the first big controversy. Maddison dances on the edge of the box, tries a disguised pass, the ball hits John Stones' arm. Ref waves play on, but VAR says: "Hold up." After a painful delay, the penalty is given. The whole stadium is fuming. Son steps up and smashes it down the middle for his brace. City players surround the ref, Pep’s going ballistic on the touchline.

Halftime: 2–2, and it feels like the kind of Premier League live drama you just cannot script. Haaland vs Son, De Bruyne vs Maddison, and the officials right in the middle of it all.

Second-half: pure madness, pure entertainment

56' – 3–2 City. If you love beautiful football, this is your moment. De Bruyne, again, spins out of pressure and floats a ridiculous diagonal into the box. Haaland muscles between the two centre-backs and nods it into the far corner for his hat-trick. Clinical, ruthless, unstoppable. He runs to the corner flag, arms out wide – you know that signature celebration – the Etihad completely explodes.

68' – 3–3. Spurs refuse to die. After a scramble from a set piece, the ball drops to Cristian Romero at the back post. Centre-back, wrong man, wrong place? Nope. He lashes a half-volley into the roof of the net. Ederson barely moves. Absolute thunderbolt from a defender. Spurs fans are losing it in the away end.

Then comes the moment everyone online is screaming about.

79' – Disallowed goal, absolute meltdown. City work a slick move down the left, Phil Foden feeds De Bruyne, he squares for Haaland to tap in his FOURTH… but the flag goes up. VAR does the whole geometry lesson, and Haaland’s shoulder is, what, a few inches off? Offside given. Haaland laughs in disbelief, Pep nearly rips up his own tactics sheet. You can already see the freeze-frames getting posted from every angle on social media.

88' – 4–3 City. Redemption. Mahrez drives inside, Foden clips a teasing ball to the back post, and Bernardo Silva sneaks in unmarked to nod home. The tiniest of touches, but it sends the place into orbit. Spurs collapse to the turf, completely shattered. City’s bench storms the touchline like they’ve just won the league.

Six minutes of added time feel like an hour, but City hang on. Final whistle. Haaland clutches the match ball, Son looks heartbroken, and the title race just got a massive twist.

Stars report: heroes & flops

Erling Haaland – Hat-trick, one very marginal offside goal ruled out, endless chaos. His movement broke Spurs all night. When he gets that kind of service from De Bruyne, you simply cannot defend it. That’s world-class, full stop.

Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists and could’ve had more. He dictated everything. Long balls, short combinations, set pieces – this was vintage KDB. He absolutely owned the midfield and made Maddison look human again in the second half.

Son Heung-min – Two goals, carried Spurs when they were drowning. His diagonal runs are still one of the deadliest weapons in world football. But by the end, he was gassed, barely touching the ball as City suffocated the game.

James Maddison – Bright in the first half, involved in both Spurs goals, including winning that controversial penalty. But when City cranked up the tempo, he struggled to keep possession and faded badly.

Defensively, both sides were a mess. Spurs’ back line never figured out how to track Haaland, and City’s high line kept living dangerously against Son’s pace. For neutrals? Perfection. For coaches? Pure nightmare fuel.

Title race context: City crank up the pressure

This win is huge for the football league table. City were under real pressure after dropping points recently, and another slip could’ve blown the door wide open for their rivals. Instead, this three?pointer drags them right back into the thick of the title hunt, while Spurs lose ground and risk getting sucked into the top?four dogfight instead of a genuine title push.

City’s goal difference also gets a nice bump thanks to Haaland’s hat-trick, which could be crucial later in the season. Spurs, meanwhile, keep proving they’re incredible to watch but still suspicious at the back when it really matters.

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

Social Media Spotlight – everyone’s raging about VAR & offside lines

Let’s be real: as soon as that Haaland goal got chalked off for offside, the internet went nuclear. Slow?mos, screenshots, pixel?level zooms – you name it, it’s out there. Some swear he was on, some say the rule’s the rule, others just want semi?automated offsides everywhere.

And while the debate over lines and laws rages on, City’s players are already on Instagram dropping victory pics and locker room celebrations, while highlight reels are flooding YouTube for everyone who somehow missed the chaos live.

My take: City send a message, Spurs still too soft

From a young reporter’s seat, this felt like a statement night for City. When the pressure hit, they didn’t fold, they doubled down. Haaland was ruthless, De Bruyne looked like he’s still one of the best in the world, and the whole team played like the title race actually means something.

Spurs? They’re electric going forward, no doubt. Son and Maddison can hurt anyone. But if you want to really live in that elite Champions League news zone every season and chase trophies, you cannot keep defending like this away to top sides. Three goals scored away at City should be enough to get at least a draw, yet they walk away with nothing. That’s mentality and structure, not just bad luck.

In my opinion, if Spurs don’t fix that defensive fragility fast, they’re going to slide from "dreaming about the title" to "fighting for fourth" pretty quickly. Meanwhile, City just reminded everyone that as long as Haaland is fit and De Bruyne is feeding him, they’re never out of the race. Ever.

Wrap-up: Premier League chaos, and we’re only just getting started

Today’s soccer news was pure adrenaline. A seven?goal thriller, a Haaland hat-trick, Son fighting like a warrior, VAR stealing the spotlight again, and the league table getting a serious shake. These are the kind of soccer games you remember at the end of the season when you’re counting the moments that decided the title.

Want to see exactly how much this changed the landscape and who’s chasing who now?

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.

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