Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City stun Newcastle – Premier League live
23.01.2026 - 22:39:39
Newcastle 4-6 Man City – Haaland goes berserk in a ten-goal epic
You wanted drama? You got ten goals, a stunned home crowd, and a title race that just got a massive jolt.
Manchester City roared out of the gates, and it didn’t take long for Erling Haaland to make it his night. His first came after slick build-up from Kevin De Bruyne: KDB slipped a filthy reverse pass inside the full-back, Haaland rolled Sven Botman and buried a right-foot finish into the bottom corner. 0-1 and you knew he wasn’t done.
Newcastle hit back hard. Alexander Isak levelled after a clever run across the near post, guiding in a low ball from Anthony Gordon to make it 1-1. Then St James’ erupted when Bruno Guimarães crashed in a long-range strike that took a nick off Rúben Dias – 2-1 and City suddenly looked rattled.
But City don’t stay down for long. De Bruyne started dictating the tempo, and the equaliser was pure Guardiola football: triangles down the left, switch of play, Phil Foden drifted inside and slid Haaland through. The Norwegian shrugged off Fabian Schär and dinked it over the keeper for 2-2. Ice cold.
Before Newcastle could reset, it was 2-3. A corner dropped loose, and Bernardo Silva reacted quickest, stabbing home from close range. Just when you thought City were about to run away with it, Newcastle dragged it back to 3-3 thanks to Isak again – this time spinning in the box and smashing past Ederson after City failed to clear a high ball.
The second half turned absolutely unhinged. City restored the lead through a trademark De Bruyne rocket: the Belgian collected a cut-back from Foden and rifled it into the top corner for 3-4. Then came the moment everyone’s arguing about online: Newcastle thought they’d equalised for 4-4 when Gordon tapped in after a scramble, but VAR chalked it off for a razor-thin offside in the build-up on Miguel Almirón. Cue full-volume boos and a wall of memes.
While Newcastle were still fuming, Haaland killed them. A quick break, Foden driving at the back line, a perfectly timed square ball, and Haaland completed his hat-trick with a first-time finish into the far corner. 3-5, and the away end went absolutely wild.
Newcastle refused to lie down – a late header from Schär off a set-piece made it 4-5 and gave them hope – but City had the final word. Substitute Julián Álvarez pounced on a loose pass in stoppage time and slotted home for 4-6, sealing a ridiculous, video-game-style scoreline.
Stars under the spotlight: heroes and flops
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Outrageous. A ruthless hat-trick, nonstop movement, bullying centre-backs all game. When the match descended into chaos, he was the calmest guy in the stadium.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – One goal, at least one official assist, and basically the conductor of everything City did. Every time he got the ball, Newcastle panicked.
- Phil Foden (Man City) – Didn’t get the headlines like Haaland, but his drifting between the lines absolutely pulled Newcastle apart. Constantly involved in the build-up to goals.
- Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – Two sharp finishes, constant threat in behind. On any other night, his brace wins man of the match. Tonight, Haaland just lived on another planet.
- Newcastle’s back line – Schär and Botman had a nightmare trying to contain City’s movement. Six conceded at home says it all.
Title race shockwaves
This result is massive. City’s win piles serious pressure on the teams above and around them in the Premier League. With those three Haaland goals and De Bruyne’s masterclass, City not only grab three points, they also crank up their goal difference in style. Newcastle, meanwhile, slide further away from the European spots, and questions will be flying about their defensive structure in big games.
Depending on the rest of today’s Premier League live action, City could be breathing right down the necks of the league leaders by tonight. Every single goal could prove crucial when we look back in May.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Champions League contenders warming up
Across the continent, the big guns in the Champions League picture were tuned in to this madness too. Clubs chasing City in Europe will have noticed one thing: going toe-to-toe with them in an open game is football suicide. With form like this, City are sending a loud message in the latest Champions League news cycle – if Haaland and De Bruyne stay fit, nobody is safe.
In other soccer news today, the top leagues all kept the scoreboard ticking: leading strikers across Europe added to the top scorers today charts, but Haaland’s hat-trick will be the one all the highlight reels lead with.
Social Media Spotlight – VAR meltdown & Haaland hype
As soon as that controversial VAR offside wiped out Newcastle’s would-be equaliser, socials went absolutely nuclear. Clips of the frozen VAR line, screenshots of the tiny margin, and side-by-side comparisons with past calls are everywhere.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the razor-thin VAR offside that denied Newcastle
Opinion corner: this was pure, reckless chaos – and City loved it
From a reporter’s seat, this felt like a match where Newcastle tried to go punch-for-punch with the heaviest hitter in world football – and paid the price. In my opinion, Eddie Howe’s game plan was way too open once the first goal went in. You just can’t give City that much grass to run into when Haaland is lurking on the shoulder and De Bruyne is in quarterback mode.
For City, this was an absolute world-class performance in attack but still a bit wild at the back. Conceding four will give Guardiola something to bark about at the training ground, but he’ll secretly love the mentality: every time they were pegged back, they instantly went up a gear. That killer instinct is why they live at the top of every football league table conversation in Europe.
Newcastle’s fans will be torn – they got an incredible spectacle, two goals from Isak and a rocket from Bruno, but shipped six at home. If they seriously want Champions League nights back, the defensive side has to level up fast.
What’s next?
This game is going to dominate highlight shows and timelines all night. Haaland’s hat-trick, De Bruyne’s screamer, Isak’s brace, the VAR row – it’s the full box set. Bookmark it as one of those “where were you when…” fixtures of the season.
If you’re trying to make sense of how this all reshapes the title race, European spots, and the pressure on the chasing pack, you need the live table in front of you.
Check full stats & standings now
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