Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City rip Palace – title race LIVE
11.02.2026 - 01:25:04
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-11, the pitch is on fire... If you love soccer games with drama, goals and absolute superstars going crazy, today was your kind of chaos. Over at Selhurst Park, Manchester City turned a tricky away trip into a statement win, ripping through Crystal Palace in a wild 4-1 victory that screams: "We are still here in this title race."
The headline? Erling Haaland is back on pure cheat-code mode. The Norwegian cyborg smashed a hat-trick, while Kevin De Bruyne looked like he was playing with a controller, pinging passes everywhere and racking up assists like it was a training drill. Palace had their moments, but City just had too much firepower.
But you don’t poke the champions and walk away unharmed. City responded with pure venom. On 24 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne picked the ball up 30 yards out, clipped a filthy, curling ball over the defence and there was Erling Haaland, bullying the centre-backs, chesting it down and slamming low past the keeper. 1-1 and game on.
City turned the screw. De Bruyne started floating into those half-spaces we’ve seen a thousand times, and Palace just couldn’t track the runs. In the 38th minute, a slick move saw Phil Foden swap passes with Bernardo Silva, slide it into Haaland, who dummied, spun, and smashed it into the roof of the net from the edge of the box. Second goal for Haaland, 2-1 City. Brutal, ruthless, inevitable.
Haaland’s movement all game was insane – constantly peeling off shoulders, dragging centre-backs all over the place. He could have had four when De Bruyne fed him again on 65 minutes, only for the Norwegian to clip the outside of the post. Even then, Palace were hanging on by a thread.
City weren’t done. On 73 minutes, Foden finally got the goal his performance deserved. De Bruyne nicked possession high, slid a quick ball into Foden’s feet, and the England star chopped inside on his left to curl a gorgeous strike into the far corner. Goal: Phil Foden, assist again from De Bruyne. 4-1, game dead, title message loud and clear.
Kevin De Bruyne – Puppet master. If Haaland was the hammer, KDB was the architect. Multiple assists, endless key passes, and that swagger of a player who knows he’s still one of the best on the planet. Palace’s midfield never got near him; every time he picked his head up, danger followed.
Phil Foden – Glowing. Drifting inside from the left, linking fluidly with Haaland, and constantly asking questions. One goal, one assist, tonnes of involvement. You can see his confidence oozing through every touch right now.
On the flip side, Palace’s backline had a nightmare trying to contain City’s front three. Marking Haaland 1v1 was footballing suicide, and once they tried to double up on him, space opened for Foden and Bernardo. Eze showed flashes of class but faded as City started suffocating the midfield.
If you look at the current football league table, City’s three points here tighten up the top spots and crank up the heat on every other contender in the run-in. Drop points now and you’re basically handing momentum to a side packed with Haaland, De Bruyne, and Foden firing on all cylinders.
City nearly added a fifth when substitute Julián Álvarez cracked a hit from distance that forced a full-stretch save, while Haaland almost grabbed a fourth on a late counter, denied only by a last-ditch block. Palace’s best late chance fell to Eze, who whipped a free-kick just over the bar – good effort, but not enough to change the story: City were just too clinical.
Haaland had critics recently for a few quiet games, but when he explodes like this, the whole narrative melts away. De Bruyne, meanwhile, is the difference between a good City and a terrifying one. With him feeding runners, every attack looks like it could end in a goal. If you’re chasing them in the table right now, you’re sweating.
From Palace’s side, there’s no shame in losing to a City team in this kind of mood, but the defensive setup felt way too brave at times. Leaving gaps for Haaland to run into is asking for pain. If they want to stay clear of the danger zone, they need to pick their battles smarter against the big dogs.
The numbers on the table and the form of top scorers today back it up: when Haaland is banging in goals and De Bruyne is pulling strings, City look like they can blow away almost anyone in Europe. The rest of the pack have been warned.
The headline? Erling Haaland is back on pure cheat-code mode. The Norwegian cyborg smashed a hat-trick, while Kevin De Bruyne looked like he was playing with a controller, pinging passes everywhere and racking up assists like it was a training drill. Palace had their moments, but City just had too much firepower.
Man City destroy Palace: Haaland hat-trick show
This one started with Palace fans in full voice, and for a second it looked like we were in for a shock. In the 12th minute, Eberechi Eze slipped between the lines, fed Michael Olise on the right, who cut inside and rifled a left-foot rocket into the far corner. 1-0 Palace, Selhurst bouncing, and City stunned.But you don’t poke the champions and walk away unharmed. City responded with pure venom. On 24 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne picked the ball up 30 yards out, clipped a filthy, curling ball over the defence and there was Erling Haaland, bullying the centre-backs, chesting it down and slamming low past the keeper. 1-1 and game on.
City turned the screw. De Bruyne started floating into those half-spaces we’ve seen a thousand times, and Palace just couldn’t track the runs. In the 38th minute, a slick move saw Phil Foden swap passes with Bernardo Silva, slide it into Haaland, who dummied, spun, and smashed it into the roof of the net from the edge of the box. Second goal for Haaland, 2-1 City. Brutal, ruthless, inevitable.
Second-half dominance: De Bruyne & Foden turn it into a clinic
After the break, Palace tried to press higher, but that just opened even more space for City’s big guns to go to work. De Bruyne looked like a glitch – outside-of-the-boot passes, one-touch layoffs, tempo control. On 56 minutes, he hit a trademark whipped cross to the back post. Foden ghosted in off the left, controlled it beautifully, and cut it back from the byline. Who else? Haaland, steaming into the six-yard box, bundling it over the line for his hat-trick. 3-1 and the away end went absolutely wild.Haaland’s movement all game was insane – constantly peeling off shoulders, dragging centre-backs all over the place. He could have had four when De Bruyne fed him again on 65 minutes, only for the Norwegian to clip the outside of the post. Even then, Palace were hanging on by a thread.
City weren’t done. On 73 minutes, Foden finally got the goal his performance deserved. De Bruyne nicked possession high, slid a quick ball into Foden’s feet, and the England star chopped inside on his left to curl a gorgeous strike into the far corner. Goal: Phil Foden, assist again from De Bruyne. 4-1, game dead, title message loud and clear.
Stars check-in: Heroes & flops
Erling Haaland – Absolute monster. Three goals, constant threat, and that killer instinct we all know. When he’s dialed in like this, defending him is basically impossible. Today he was everywhere: channel runs, link-up drops, near-post sprints. Hat-trick hero, no debate.Kevin De Bruyne – Puppet master. If Haaland was the hammer, KDB was the architect. Multiple assists, endless key passes, and that swagger of a player who knows he’s still one of the best on the planet. Palace’s midfield never got near him; every time he picked his head up, danger followed.
Phil Foden – Glowing. Drifting inside from the left, linking fluidly with Haaland, and constantly asking questions. One goal, one assist, tonnes of involvement. You can see his confidence oozing through every touch right now.
On the flip side, Palace’s backline had a nightmare trying to contain City’s front three. Marking Haaland 1v1 was footballing suicide, and once they tried to double up on him, space opened for Foden and Bernardo. Eze showed flashes of class but faded as City started suffocating the midfield.
Title race context: City send a message
This 4-1 win doesn’t just look good on the highlight reel – it smashes open the title conversation. City’s goal difference takes a juicy bump, and the pressure flips straight back onto the teams above them in the Premier League live picture.If you look at the current football league table, City’s three points here tighten up the top spots and crank up the heat on every other contender in the run-in. Drop points now and you’re basically handing momentum to a side packed with Haaland, De Bruyne, and Foden firing on all cylinders.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
VAR noise, near misses & late drama
We even had a slice of controversy to fuel the post-match arguments. Midway through the second half, with City 3-1 up, Palace thought they were back in it when Jean-Philippe Mateta turned in a low cross. The stadium exploded – for about 30 seconds. VAR stepped in, drawing those now-familiar lines and ruling Mateta marginally offside. The call stood, the goal was chalked off, and the home crowd went from ecstasy to fury in an instant.City nearly added a fifth when substitute Julián Álvarez cracked a hit from distance that forced a full-stretch save, while Haaland almost grabbed a fourth on a late counter, denied only by a last-ditch block. Palace’s best late chance fell to Eze, who whipped a free-kick just over the bar – good effort, but not enough to change the story: City were just too clinical.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the VAR offside and Haaland's insane hat-trick
Reporter's take: This looked like champion mode
Here’s my honest read: this looked like that classic moment in a season where a big team flicks the switch. The intensity, the swagger, the cold-blooded finishing – this was champion energy from City.Haaland had critics recently for a few quiet games, but when he explodes like this, the whole narrative melts away. De Bruyne, meanwhile, is the difference between a good City and a terrifying one. With him feeding runners, every attack looks like it could end in a goal. If you’re chasing them in the table right now, you’re sweating.
From Palace’s side, there’s no shame in losing to a City team in this kind of mood, but the defensive setup felt way too brave at times. Leaving gaps for Haaland to run into is asking for pain. If they want to stay clear of the danger zone, they need to pick their battles smarter against the big dogs.
What's next & where this leaves everything
In the bigger picture of today’s soccer news, City’s win slams them right back into the center of every title debate, while Palace are glancing nervously at the teams below them. With more Premier League live action coming up and Champions League news heating up around the corner, this feels like the moment City are gearing up for a big surge across all fronts.The numbers on the table and the form of top scorers today back it up: when Haaland is banging in goals and De Bruyne is pulling strings, City look like they can blow away almost anyone in Europe. The rest of the pack have been warned.
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