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

Man City 4-3 Spurs – Haaland hits a ruthless hat-trick, Son scores twice, and VAR takes center stage. Did this wild night just flip the title race?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... You wanted crazy soccer games? You just got an instant classic at the Etihad. Manchester City 4–3 Tottenham Hotspur, a Premier League live rollercoaster with Erling Haaland smashing a hat-trick, Son Heung-min answering with a deadly brace, and VAR stealing as many headlines as the actual football.

Seven-goal madness: Man City 4–3 Spurs

This one had everything. Inside the first 15 minutes, it felt like both teams had decided defending was optional.

City struck first: a slick move down the left ended with Kevin De Bruyne sliding a pass into the box. Erling Haaland took one touch and hammered it low into the bottom corner for 1–0. Ruthless, classic Haaland.

Spurs punched straight back. A turnover in midfield, a lightning counter, and suddenly Son Heung-min was isolated one?on?one with Rúben Dias. Son chopped inside and curled a beauty beyond Ederson for 1–1. Total silence from the home end, pure limbs in the away end.

Then came the first big controversy. City thought they had a penalty when Haaland went down under a tangle with Cristian Romero. The referee initially pointed to the spot, but after a long VAR check the decision was overturned. The Etihad howled, Guardiola lost it on the touchline, and #VAR was instantly trending.

Did that rattle City? Not a chance. On 32 minutes, Phil Foden drove inside from the right, played a quick one?two with De Bruyne, and smashed a low shot that Vicario palmed straight back into danger. Guess who was there? Haaland. Tap?in. 2–1 City, Haaland brace, and Spurs looked shell-shocked.

Right before half?time, Spurs somehow dragged themselves level again. Pedro Porro whipped in a vicious cross and Richarlison outmuscled his marker to nod it home for 2–2. Chaos at the break, both managers sprinting down the tunnel with a lot to fix.

Second-half drama: Haaland hat-trick & last?minute heartbreak

The tempo didn't drop after the restart. On 55 minutes, Foden got clipped at the edge of the box, and this time VAR stayed out of it. Up stepped Haaland for the free-kick routine – but instead of shooting, De Bruyne rolled it sideways and Haaland absolutely lashed it from 20 yards, a rocket straight through the wall for his hat-trick. 3–2 City. Pure power, pure No. 9 dominance.

At this point, Haaland was bullying the entire Spurs backline. Romero and Van de Ven couldn't handle his movement, and every cross felt like a panic moment. De Bruyne, back in full playmaker-god mode, kept threading passes between the lines – this was the superstar link-up City fans live for.

But Spurs refused to die. Ange-ball stayed brave, and on 73 minutes they got their reward. Brennan Johnson drove down the left, cut it back, and once again it was Son Heung-min ghosting into the box to side-foot in for 3–3. Two goals for Son, both ice-cold finishes. If Haaland was the monster, Son was the assassin.

Then came the talking point of the night. In the 84th minute, Son broke away and went down after a coming-together with Manuel Akanji just outside the area. The ref waved play on, City countered straight away, and within seconds Foden was tumbling in the Spurs box at the other end. This time, the whistle blew. Penalty City.

VAR spent what felt like an eternity checking both incidents – was Son fouled? Was Foden offside in the build?up? In the end, they gave the spot-kick. Spurs players lost it, the away fans were absolutely furious, and social media exploded with fans screaming about "one rule for the big clubs".

Haaland, of course, stepped up. Vicario guessed right but the strike was too hard, too high, and too precise. 4–3 City, Haaland with four goal contributions and the decisive penalty. The place erupted. Haaland ripped off toward the corner flag, fists pumping, City bench sprinting after him. That's the kind of moment that wins titles.

Heroes, flops & the big names

• Erling Haaland (Man City) – Stone-cold superstar. Hat-trick plus the late penalty winner, bullying centre-backs all night. This is Golden Boot, top scorers today kind of form.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, setting the tempo, and constantly picking killer passes. Not always in the headlines like Haaland, but absolutely dictating the soccer game.
• Phil Foden – Drifted in and out, but popped up with massive moments: his drive led to Haaland's second, and he earned the decisive penalty under heavy pressure.
• Son Heung-min (Spurs) – Two clinical goals away at the Etihad. Every time he got the ball, City's back line looked terrified. Couldn't drag Spurs to a point, but absolutely world-class.
• Cristian Romero (Spurs) – Embodied the chaos. Aggressive, on the edge, but never really got to grips with Haaland. Gave away the first penalty (even if VAR bailed him out) and spent the night scrambling.

What it means for the football league table

This result is huge for the title race. City's win keeps them right at the top of the Premier League pile and ramps up the pressure on their closest rivals. Spurs, meanwhile, are now slipping further away from the Champions League spots – every dropped point stings when the battle for Europe is this tight.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR meltdown & Haaland hype

Online, it's absolute chaos. The hot topic? That late penalty sequence and whether Son should have had a foul at the other end seconds earlier. Clips are flying around, slow-mo replays everywhere, and fans of every club weighing in like it's their team that got robbed.

Reporter's take: Title-winning vibes?

From a young reporter's seat, this felt like one of those nights you clip and save for the season montage. City weren't perfect – the defending was messy, the game control vanished at times – but champions find a way. And when you've got Haaland in full destroyer mode and De Bruyne pulling strings, you&aposre never really out of it.

As for Spurs, you have to respect the bravery. They came to play, they pressed high, they went toe?to?toe with the champions in their own house. But in my opinion, if you leave this many gaps against City, you&aposre basically inviting Haaland to wreck your evening. It's heroic, it's fun, but it's also brutal on the points column.

The VAR drama? Honestly, the inconsistency is what drives everyone mad. If the Son incident is a foul, the whole game flips. If it's not, fans don't understand why similar contact in the box seconds later is enough for a penalty. Until that feels clearer, we&aposre going to keep getting nights like this where the timeline is 50% tactics and 50% freeze-frames of referees with a finger to their ear.

What's next?

City march on with serious momentum, their attack looking like a cheat code again. Haaland rockets up the Premier League top scorers chart, and the Champions League news narrative will be all about whether anyone in Europe can actually contain him when he's in this kind of mood.

Spurs, though, are stuck in that painful middle ground: good enough to scare the elite, not quite stable enough to consistently beat them. If they want to turn these thrilling match reports into actual points, something at the back has to change.

Either way, if you love high-tempo soccer news and wild scorelines, this was your night. And with the season heating up, every game like this is going to twist the football league table even more.

Check full stats & standings now

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