Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City stun Liverpool 4-2 – live title shock

Man City rip Liverpool 4-2 in a wild six-goal thriller as Haaland bags a ruthless hat-trick. But did a huge VAR call flip the whole title race on its head?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-18, the pitch is on fire... Did you catch that six-goal explosion at Anfield? If you missed these soccer games, you basically missed the Premier League going into full meltdown mode. Manchester City stormed Liverpool 4-2 in a match that had everything: a ruthless Erling Haaland hat-trick, Mohamed Salah fighting to drag his side back, and a VAR controversy that has social media absolutely exploding.

Man City silence Anfield: Liverpool 2-4 Manchester City

This one felt like a Champions League night, but the stakes were pure Premier League live drama. Liverpool flew out of the blocks, backed by a deafening Kop, but it was City who landed the first real punch.

On 18 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those ridiculous no-look passes between the lines, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. First touch to set, second touch smashed low past Alisson. Boom: 1-0 City. That was the tone-setter.

Liverpool reacted. On 32 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold clipped a teasing cross to the back post, Darwin Núñez rose highest and nodded back across goal. The ball pinged around the box before Mohamed Salah pounced, lashing it in from close range to make it 1-1. Anfield erupted, Salah screaming into the camera – pure chaos energy.

But City never blinked. Just before half-time, in the 44th minute, De Bruyne swung in a wicked corner, Rúben Dias flicked it on, and Haaland bullied his marker to power a header in from five yards. Haaland again, 2-1 City, and a dagger right before the break.

Second-half madness: VAR steps into the spotlight

The key flashpoint came on 56 minutes. Núñez burst into the box and tangled with John Stones. The referee pointed to the spot, Anfield roared, but then VAR called him over. After a long, tense check, the penalty was overturned for what they called a "minimal contact" foul. The stadium went nuclear. X is full of slow-motion clips and screenshots right now – it's the hot topic of the night.

Liverpool never really recovered from that emotional punch. Three minutes later, City sliced through them again. Phil Foden drifted inside, slid a perfectly weighted through ball, and Haaland was in behind. One feint, one ice-cold finish into the far corner: Haaland hat-trick, 3-1 City on 59 minutes. That was him basically grabbing the league by the throat.

Liverpool did find a lifeline in the 71st minute. Harvey Elliott combined nicely down the right, Salah cut inside and fired a shot that Ederson parried, but substitute Dominik Szoboszlai followed in to tuck home the rebound. 3-2, game back on, Jurgen Klopp fist-pumping the crowd.

But City just had one gear left. On 84 minutes, Bernardo Silva pressed high, nicked the ball off Alexis Mac Allister, and slid it wide to Foden. Instead of shooting, Foden clipped a clever ball to the penalty spot where Bernardo Silva himself had continued his run. One calm, side-footed finish into the corner: 4-2 City, and that was the killer.

Heroes and flops: the big names under the spotlight

• Erling Haaland (Man City) – Pure monster mode. Three goals, relentless movement, bullied centre-backs all night. His hat-trick absolutely flips the Golden Boot and top scorers today charts in his favour.
• Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Two assists, constant danger between the lines. When he and Haaland click like this, you just feel sorry for defenders.
• Phil Foden (Man City) – No goal, but a huge influence. His intelligence between the lines opened up Liverpool repeatedly. Quietly world-class performance.
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – Scored one, created another, but ended up on the losing side. He was Liverpool's best threat, but the team around him just couldn't match City's composure.
• Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – Constant chaos, but lacking the killer edge. Involved in good moments, yet his missed chances and that messy penalty incident will haunt him.
• Liverpool defence – This is where it fell apart. Too easily dragged out of shape by Haaland's runs and Foden's drifting. Title-winning back lines don't concede four at home in a game this big.

What this does to the football league table

This result could be the turning point of the season. With this win, Manchester City leapfrog Liverpool at the top, nudging ahead in the title race and throwing even more fire onto the upcoming run-in. Goal difference swings, momentum shifts, and suddenly City look like the machine we all feared was coming.

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

Arsenal, Spurs and the chasing pack will be watching this and either smiling or sweating. City's win creates a little gap, but with so many soccer games still to come and the Champions League news heating up, nobody is safe yet.

Social Media Spotlight: VAR, Haaland and fury on the timeline

The official match hashtag is flying: #LIVMCI. Clips of the overturned penalty, Haaland's hat-trick and Salah's frustration are everywhere. Fans are split right down the middle between "City masterclass" and "Liverpool robbed".

Reporter's take: this felt like a statement, not just three points

Honestly, this didn't just look like a big away win – it looked like a title statement from City. In my opinion, Liverpool got way too open in midfield. Once De Bruyne and Foden started finding pockets, it was only a matter of time before Haaland cashed in.

The VAR call will dominate the talk shows, but here's the brutal truth: Champions don't crumble after one decision. Liverpool lost their heads for ten minutes, and City punished them with elite ruthlessness. That's the difference at this level.

If you're Jurgen Klopp, you're looking at that back line and asking serious questions. If you're Pep Guardiola, you're probably replaying Haaland's runs tonight with a glass of wine and a massive grin.

What's next?

City now roll into their next run of fixtures with huge confidence, balancing Premier League live pressure with their Champions League ambitions. Liverpool can still respond, but they've burned a life here. Every mistake from now on is going to feel fatal.

For anyone tracking the football league table and top scorers today, bookmark this – it might be the night we look back on as the moment the balance of power shifted.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de