Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City smash Spurs – Premier League live drama
05.02.2026 - 15:22:14Man City 4–2 Tottenham: Haaland goes beast mode
This one was pure chaos from the first whistle. Tottenham actually drew first blood: in the 14th minute, Heung-Min Son punished a sloppy pass out from the back, driving at the City defence before ripping a low right-footed strike past Ederson into the bottom corner. 1–0 Spurs, the stadium bouncing.
But you know how it goes with City – poke the bear, and it bites back. On 27 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those trademark slide-rule passes between the lines, and Erling Haaland bulldozed between Romero and van de Ven to smash a left-footed finish high beyond Vicario. 1–1 and game properly on.
City flipped the script just before half-time. In the 44th minute, Phil Foden drifted inside, exchanged a slick one-two with Bernardo Silva, and curled a gorgeous right-footed effort into the far corner. Goal-scorer: Phil Foden, and suddenly Spurs were staring at a 2–1 deficit heading into the break.
Second-half storm: Haaland hat-trick, VAR controversy
After the restart, City smelled blood. On 55 minutes, they won a penalty after Manuel Akanji was dragged down by Cristian Romero at a corner. Massive debate, massive screams from the home fans – but VAR backed the ref. Up stepped Erling Haaland, who slammed the spot-kick into the top-left corner. 3–1 City, Haaland on a brace.
The big talking point came ten minutes later. In the 65th minute, Spurs thought they were back in it when James Maddison curled a stunner into the top corner from distance. The stadium exploded – but then came the dreaded VAR check. In the buildup, Son was judged fractionally offside as he received a pass before laying it off. Goal disallowed. Cue outrage, boos, and a storm all over social media about the decision.
City, ruthless as ever, twisted the knife. In the 72nd minute, De Bruyne broke away on a counter, slid another delicious through-ball into space, and Haaland did what Haaland does – one touch, bang, low across Vicario into the far corner. Goal-scorer: Erling Haaland again, sealing his hat-trick and making it 4–1. This was vintage, unstoppable No. 9 dominance.
Spurs still refused to die. On 88 minutes, a loose ball dropped to Heung-Min Son in the box after a deflected cross, and he calmly tucked it into the corner for his second of the night to make it 4–2. Too late to change the result, but enough to send fantasy teams wild and keep the scoreline looking slightly more respectable.
Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Absolute monster performance. Three goals, constant movement, bullied the Spurs backline all game. Clinical from the spot, lethal in transition. Today he was the definition of a title-deciding superstar.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Two assists, and both were classic KDB: vision, weight of pass, and tempo control. He ran the game between the lines and made Spurs’ midfield look a step behind all night.
- Phil Foden (Man City) – That first-half goal was pure technique. Also pressed like crazy and linked up beautifully with De Bruyne and Haaland.
- Heung-Min Son (Tottenham) – Spurs’ best outlet by a mile, scored twice, worked tirelessly. But he was also involved in the phase that led to that disallowed Maddison screamer – not his fault, but his positioning was under the microscope in the VAR freeze-frame.
- James Maddison (Tottenham) – Had a wondergoal chalked off by VAR. Looked creative in flashes but drifted out of the game as City took control.
What this does to the Premier League table
This result is huge in the context of the title race. With this win, Manchester City tighten their grip near the top of the Premier League, piling pressure on their closest rivals and dragging Spurs deeper into the battle for European spots rather than the summit. City’s goal difference takes a tasty boost thanks to Haaland’s hat-trick, and Spurs’ defensive issues are once again brutally exposed.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in today’s football results
Across Europe, the football results today were just as spicy. In Spain, Jude Bellingham once again delivered for Real Madrid, scoring the only goal in a tight 1–0 win. Goal-scorer: Jude Bellingham, arriving late into the box and guiding a low cross into the corner with that trademark calmness. Pure clutch.
In France, Kylian Mbappé struck twice in a 3–1 Paris Saint-Germain victory. Goal-scorers: Kylian Mbappé (two goals) and a late strike from a supporting forward to seal it. Mbappé was all step-overs, bursts of pace, and ice-cold finishing – defenders just couldn’t live with him. In both La Liga and Ligue 1, the top stars totally lived up to the hype today.
Social Media Spotlight: Fans lose it over VAR and Haaland
While the goals were flying in, the internet basically melted. The key talking point? That disallowed Maddison goal and the tiny offside on Son that triggered it. Screenshots, freeze-frames, lines drawn everywhere – you know the drill.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the VAR offside call on Son before Maddisons disallowed screamer
Reporters take: Haaland saves the script, Spurs stuck on repeat
From my seat, this felt like one of those nights where we’re going to look back and say: that was a title statement from City. In my opinion, Tottenham are trying to play brave, front-foot football – which is great – but if you gift transitions and space to Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, you’re basically writing your own horror story.
City looked like a fully wired machine. Haaland was in full destroyer mode, De Bruyne looked refreshed and sharp, and Foden continues his evolution into a true leader in big games. On the flip side, Spurs’ defensive structure just isn’t at the level it needs to be if they want to hang around the Champions League spots.
The VAR call? For me, it’s technically correct but emotionally brutal. The offside on Son was razor-thin – the kind of thing that makes you question whether the game is being measured in pixels more than passion. But those are the rules in the modern era, and today Spurs were on the ugly side of that line.
Final whistle: Title race heating up, stars delivering
So where does that leave us? Haaland bags a hat-trick, Son fights until the end, VAR steals a chunk of the headlines, and the Premier League title race tightens in real time. Over in Spain and France, Bellingham and Mbappé both showed exactly why they’re considered the faces of the new generation – scoring the decisive goals for their clubs.
If you’re tracking every twist and turn – from Premier League live drama to the latest football league table shifts – you absolutely have to keep one eye on how tonight’s results reshape the top of the standings.
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