Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City smash Chelsea – Premier League live drama
05.02.2026 - 17:20:43
Man City 4–1 Chelsea – Haaland turns beast mode back on
Erling Haaland has been accused of going a bit quiet lately. Not tonight. The Norwegian cyborg dropped a hat-trick on Chelsea and basically screamed to the league: "I'm still here." Manchester City hammered Chelsea 4–1 in one of those soccer games that felt over after 25 minutes.
The scoring started early. In the 11th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass through a lazy Chelsea line, and Haaland bullied his way past Benoît Badiashile before smashing low past ?or?e Petrovi? for 1–0. Classic Haaland: one touch to separate, one touch to kill.
City doubled it on 29 minutes: Phil Foden drifted inside from the right, combined with Bernardo Silva, and when the ball broke loose at the edge of the box, Foden whipped a left-foot curler right into the top corner. 2–0, and Chelsea were wobbling like they’d never seen pressing before.
Chelsea did get a lifeline. Just before half-time, Cole Palmer reminded City what they let go. After a clumsy tackle from Rúben Dias on Nicolas Jackson, VAR dragged the ref to the monitor. Penalty given, huge boos from the Etihad, but Palmer stayed ice cold and buried it for 2–1 on 44 minutes.
The big VAR flashpoint came early in the second half. At 55', Haaland thought he’d scored again after heading in a De Bruyne corner, but VAR spent what felt like forever checking a tangle between John Stones and Thiago Silva in the box. In the end: goal given. Haaland’s second of the night stood, 3–1, and Chelsea’s players completely lost it around the referee.
Haaland completed his hat-trick in pure striker fashion. On 78 minutes, a rapid City break saw Julián Álvarez slide the ball across the six-yard box, and Haaland just had to tap it in with Chelsea’s back line totally gone. 4–1, hats in the air, game over.
As for the stars: Haaland was obviously the main event – relentless, nasty in the box, and alive for every half-chance. De Bruyne pulled the strings like it was a training drill, racking up two assists and running Chelsea's midfield into the ground. On the flip side, Raheem Sterling was anonymous on his Etihad return, and Jackson’s finishing was all over the place. Palmer was Chelsea’s only real bright spot.
Liverpool 2–2 Newcastle – Salah saves a point, but is it enough?
Over at Anfield, it was pure chaos again. Liverpool drew 2–2 with Newcastle in a game that swung like crazy and left Jürgen Klopp looking furious at full-time.
Newcastle struck first: in the 18th minute, Alexander Isak bullied his way between Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, took down a long ball from Bruno Guimarães, and slotted past Alisson to make it 0–1. Anfield went dead quiet.
Liverpool hit back through their main man. On 34 minutes, Mohamed Salah ghosted into the box, latched onto a low Trent Alexander-Arnold cut-back and hammered in for 1–1. Classic Salah – perfect movement, ruthless finish.
The second-half drama really exploded around the 60th minute. Newcastle thought they’d gone 2–1 up when Anthony Gordon smashed in after a scramble, but VAR ruled it out for a tight offside in the build-up. Ten minutes later, the script flipped: a soft-looking penalty was given against Dan Burn for a nudge on Darwin Núñez. Salah stepped up, but Nick Pope guessed right and saved brilliantly. Anfield stunned.
Newcastle then made Liverpool pay. On 79 minutes, Isak grabbed his second of the game, latching onto a quick counter and firing across Alisson into the far corner. 1–2 and the away end exploded.
But Liverpool don’t die easily at home. In the 88th minute, a loose ball dropped to substitute Dominik Szoboszlai at the edge of the box. His shot was parried, and who else but Salah was there to stab home the rebound for 2–2.
Salah finished with two goals and about ten lives spared. Still, you could feel it: that wasn’t the statement of a title winner. Van Dijk looked oddly passive, and the midfield lost control way too often, while Isak tortured them with clever runs all night.
Arsenal stumble again – title momentum swinging blue
At the Emirates, Arsenal were held 1–1 in a frustrating draw with Brighton. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a tidy finish after a slick move with Martin Ødegaard, but the Gunners couldn’t kill the game. In the second half, Brighton’s João Pedro punished sloppy defending to level it, and Arsenal’s late siege never found a winner.
Saka looked sharp but isolated at times, Ødegaard drifted in and out, and Gabriel Jesus wasted a big chance that had the home fans groaning. That’s the kind of game title chasers simply have to finish off – and they didn’t.
So we end the night with City flying, Liverpool wobbling, and Arsenal stuck in second gear. The table has a whole new layer of spice on it now.
What does this mean for the title race? City’s win and Arsenal’s draw tilt the whole thing towards Guardiola’s side. They look ruthless again, and Haaland looks angry. Liverpool’s dropped points mean they’re slipping from the front line of the fight. If you want to see how tight it is right now, this is where you go: Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – Haaland, VAR and pure chaos
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over Haaland's hat-trick and that VAR decision on his header
My take: City just sent a message to the whole league
In my opinion, this felt like one of those nights where the league shifts. City didn’t just beat Chelsea, they toyed with them. When Haaland is snarling like that and De Bruyne is pinging passes at will, it's borderline unfair. Pep won the tactical battle before a ball was kicked – Chelsea’s midfield press got shredded, and their back line never figured out how to track Haaland’s movement.
Arsenal’s draw and Liverpool’s wobbly defending scream one thing: consistency isn’t there. City, though? They looked like a machine warming up for the run-in. If they keep this level, everyone else is playing catch-up. And honestly, if you’re in that Arsenal dressing room, you’re probably looking at tonight thinking, "We just gave them an opening."
As for Chelsea, it’s hard to defend this. The talent is there, but the structure isn’t. Palmer can’t carry the whole attack every week, and if they keep defending like that, it’s mid-table vibes written all over their season.
Closing whistle – title race turning electric
The noise around the Premier League is going to be insane after today. City are roaring back, Haaland is back in the Golden Boot conversation in a big way, and every dropped point from Arsenal or Liverpool now feels massive.
If you want to see exactly how those draws and that City demolition reshaped the league, do not sleep on the numbers – the table tells the truth. Check full stats & standings now
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