Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City stun United – live drama all over
26.01.2026 - 00:43:04
Premier League live drama: Haaland destroys United, but controversy steals the show
Manchester United 1–4 Manchester City. That scoreline only tells half the story. Erling Haaland smashed in a hat-trick (12', 41', 78') and reminded everyone exactly why defenders lose sleep the night before facing him. United's only reply came via a Bruno Fernandes penalty on 65' after Rasmus Højlund was clipped in the box, but honestly, it felt like a small bandage on a huge wound.
The first goal? Classic City. Rodri slid a pass into Kevin De Bruyne between the lines, De Bruyne clipped an absolutely filthy cross to the back post, and Haaland bullied his marker to nod it in. 1–0 and we weren't even warmed up yet.
On 41', City doubled up. Phil Foden ghosted inside from the right, dragged three defenders with him, rolled the ball to Haaland at the edge of the box, and the Norwegian just passed it into the far corner with that side-foot rocket he loves. André Onana was rooted. 2–0, United fans stunned.
United got a lifeline after the break. On 63', Højlund muscled into the area, tangled with Rúben Dias, and VAR took an age. Finally, penalty given. Bruno Fernandes stepped up on 65' and absolutely rifled it top bins past Ederson. 2–1 and Old Trafford briefly woke up.
But this is where the hot topic exploded: just minutes later, on 70', Lisandro Martínez flew into a 50/50 with Foden. The ref initially showed a yellow, but VAR dragged him to the monitor. After a super slow-mo replay that everyone online is sick of already, the yellow became a red card. United down to ten, and the hashtag feed went nuclear. United fans calling it soft, City fans calling it justice – you know the drill.
With the extra space, City went for the kill. Haaland completed his hat-trick on 78' after De Bruyne nicked the ball high up, slipped him through, and the big man just opened up his body and slotted home. Then, to twist the knife, Foden got his goal on 88', smashing in after a slick one-two with Julián Álvarez.
Stars under the spotlight: heroes and flops
- Erling Haaland – Hero of the day. Three goals, constant menace, dropping deep when needed and then attacking the box like a wrecking ball. His movement for the opener and composure for the third were pure striker’s textbook.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Didn’t score, but quietly lethal. Two assists, dictated the tempo, and kept finding half-spaces that United never plugged.
- Phil Foden – One goal, one assist, and won the foul that led to the red card drama. His quick feet forced United mistakes all night.
- Bruno Fernandes – Took his penalty brilliantly and tried to drag United forward, but he was outnumbered in midfield and kept chasing shadows once they went down to ten.
- Lisandro Martínez – The talking point. Aggressive as always, but the tackle that brought the straight red after VAR review will be argued about for days.
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham and Mbappé keep the Champions League mood warm
Over in Spain, Jude Bellingham was at it again for Real Madrid in La Liga, hitting a brace in a 3–1 win where Vinícius Júnior added the third. Bellingham scored on 22' with a late run into the box and a cool finish, then again on 67' after picking up a loose ball and drilling it low into the corner. The guy is basically a one-man highlight package right now.
In France, Kylian Mbappé stayed in the spotlight with a goal and an assist in a 2–0 win for Paris Saint-Germain. He opened the scoring on 33' with a trademark burst in behind and clinical finish, then teed up Ousmane Dembélé on 74' with a cutback that sliced the defence open. While everyone's watching the Premier League live chaos, Mbappé is quietly racking up numbers and keeping PSG on top.
All of this is massive for the upcoming Champions League nights. Form like this from Bellingham, Mbappé, Haaland and Foden means the knockout stages are going to be ridiculous. Today's football results today are basically a trailer for what’s coming under the midweek European lights.
What does it mean for the football league table?
City’s derby win tightens the title race big time. Those three points shove them right up against the league leaders, with United slipping further away from the top-four fight. Between goal difference swinging massively and momentum shifting, this result is going to hang over the next few matchdays like a cloud – or a blue smoke bomb if you’re City.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: the derby blows up the timeline
Right now the internet is locked in on the Manchester derby, and especially that Martínez red card. VAR angles are getting replayed from every possible fan-cam in the stadium, and everyone’s got an opinion on whether he actually endangered Foden or if it was just a hard-but-fair challenge.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the Martínez VAR red card and Haaland hat-trick
Reporter’s take: time to ask hard questions at United
From my seat, this wasn’t just a bad day at the office for United – it looked like a structural problem. City moved as a unit; United looked like a group of strangers reconnecting on a five-a-side WhatsApp group. The pressing was half-hearted, the distances between lines were huge, and against a machine like City, that’s basically handing Haaland a VIP pass.
In my opinion, the manager can’t hide from this anymore. Losing is one thing; being out-thought and out-fought at home to your biggest rival is another. You’ve got Bruno Fernandes and Højlund working their socks off, but if the rest of the structure collapses, it doesn’t matter. City made them look like a mid-table side chasing shadows.
On the flip side, this was an absolute world-class performance from City. De Bruyne’s vision, Foden’s swagger, Haaland’s brutality in front of goal – it all clicked. If they keep this level, every club above or around them in the table is going to feel that breath on their necks very, very soon.
Closing whistle: title race heating up fast
So here’s where we’re at: Haaland’s hat-trick, a scorching Manchester derby, VAR controversy that’s going to fuel arguments all week, and giants like Bellingham and Mbappé keeping their own leagues and Champions League news buzzing. If you’re into football results today, this is one of those dates you’ll remember.
Want to see exactly how brutal that derby result was for United, and how much it boosted City's chances? Don’t just guess, check the numbers.
Check full stats & standings now
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