Haaland hat-trick, City stun Chelsea 4-1 as Premier League title race goes live
07.02.2026 - 17:00:43
Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-07, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama from your soccer games, you got pure chaos in the Premier League. At the Etihad, Manchester City smashed Chelsea 4-1 in a statement win that screamed: the champions are not giving this title up without a fight.
From the first whistle this felt big – intensity, tackles flying, and then the inevitable: Erling Haaland doing exactly what Erling Haaland does. The Norwegian machine walked away with a hat-trick, and the title race just flipped on its head.
15' – 1-0, Erling Haaland
Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those trademark passes through the lines, slicing Chelsea wide open. Haaland bullied his marker, powered into the box and drilled low past the keeper. Classic Haaland: one touch to set, one touch to kill. Chelsea’s back line looked like they’d just seen a ghost.
31' – 1-1, Cole Palmer
Chelsea hit back through their star boy. City switched off on the right, a quick combination put Cole Palmer in space just inside the box, and he curled a left-footed beauty into the far corner. No celebration, hands up against his former club, but you could feel the needle. The away fans exploded, sensing a comeback brewing.
44' – 2-1, Erling Haaland (pen)
Then came one of the day’s big flashpoints. Haaland went down under pressure from a Chelsea defender after a corner scramble. VAR checked it forever, the stadium booed, the benches screamed. In the end, the ref stuck with the spot-kick. Haaland stepped up, eyes cold, smashed it straight down the middle. Keeper dived, net bulged, City walked into half-time back in control – and Chelsea walked off furious with the decision.
62' – 3-1, Phil Foden
The third was pure City art. Quick combination down the left, De Bruyne cut it back to the edge, and Foden whipped a first-time strike into the top corner. No chance for the keeper. The Etihad absolutely erupted. That goal felt like the knockout punch – Chelsea’s shoulders dropped, City’s confidence went through the roof.
78' – 4-1, Erling Haaland (hat-trick)
Because of course he wasn’t done. A long diagonal from Rodri found Foden, who cushioned a header into space. Haaland timed his run to perfection, held off his marker and dinked delicately over the keeper. Not just power – pure finesse. Hat-trick complete, game dead, title message delivered. The whole stadium chanting his name, and he just stood there, arms out, soaking it in. Big-time player, big-time night.
Chelsea barely laid a glove on City in the final 20 minutes. Palmer kept trying to spark something, but Rúben Dias and the back line were in total lockdown mode. For Chelsea’s attackers, it was a frustrating evening of half-chances and blocked shots.
Kevin De Bruyne – vintage magician. Two assists, endless control of tempo. Every time he got on the ball, Chelsea panicked. His passing angles just break defensive brains.
Phil Foden – chaos creator. One goal, one assist, loads of progressive runs. He popped up everywhere between the lines and Chelsea never figured him out.
Cole Palmer – lone bright spark for Chelsea. His goal was pure quality, and he looked like the only one truly believing they could hurt City. But he was way too isolated once City turned the screw.
Chelsea defence – rough, rough night. Outmuscled by Haaland, out-thought by De Bruyne, outpaced by Foden. Once the second went in, the line kept dropping deeper and deeper, and City just picked them apart.
Chelsea, meanwhile, slide back into that brutal scrap for European spots. With this kind of defeat, their confidence takes a hit, and their defensive issues are again exposed on the biggest stage.
In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG, including a filthy solo goal where he burned two defenders and rifled into the roof of the net. But defensively, PSG still looked shaky and conceded from a set piece, leaving plenty of questions ahead of their next Champions League clash.
Scroll through that hashtag and it’s full of slowed-down clips, frame-by-frame screenshots, fans tagging PGMOL, and people arguing about what “clear and obvious” even means anymore. Some say soft, some say stonewall – but everyone’s talking about it.
For Chelsea, though? In my opinion, this was a reality check. You can’t go to the Etihad with a soft midfield screen and expect to survive 90 minutes. The structure fell apart once they went behind, and there was no real plan B. If they want to be more than "promising project" and actually compete, the big-game mentality has to change, starting from the dugout.
The title race? It just got spicy. City are roaring, other contenders now know there’s zero margin for error, and every weekend from here is going to feel like a final.
From the first whistle this felt big – intensity, tackles flying, and then the inevitable: Erling Haaland doing exactly what Erling Haaland does. The Norwegian machine walked away with a hat-trick, and the title race just flipped on its head.
Man City 4–1 Chelsea: Haaland goes full monster mode
This was the headline clash of the day, and it never took a breath. City came out suffocating Chelsea high up the pitch, and it paid off early.15' – 1-0, Erling Haaland
Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those trademark passes through the lines, slicing Chelsea wide open. Haaland bullied his marker, powered into the box and drilled low past the keeper. Classic Haaland: one touch to set, one touch to kill. Chelsea’s back line looked like they’d just seen a ghost.
31' – 1-1, Cole Palmer
Chelsea hit back through their star boy. City switched off on the right, a quick combination put Cole Palmer in space just inside the box, and he curled a left-footed beauty into the far corner. No celebration, hands up against his former club, but you could feel the needle. The away fans exploded, sensing a comeback brewing.
44' – 2-1, Erling Haaland (pen)
Then came one of the day’s big flashpoints. Haaland went down under pressure from a Chelsea defender after a corner scramble. VAR checked it forever, the stadium booed, the benches screamed. In the end, the ref stuck with the spot-kick. Haaland stepped up, eyes cold, smashed it straight down the middle. Keeper dived, net bulged, City walked into half-time back in control – and Chelsea walked off furious with the decision.
Second-half siege: De Bruyne masterclass, Foden fireworks
City smelled blood after the break. Kevin De Bruyne put on a playmaking clinic – drifting into pockets, spraying passes, pulling Chelsea apart. Phil Foden was electric between the lines, constantly driving at defenders and drawing fouls.62' – 3-1, Phil Foden
The third was pure City art. Quick combination down the left, De Bruyne cut it back to the edge, and Foden whipped a first-time strike into the top corner. No chance for the keeper. The Etihad absolutely erupted. That goal felt like the knockout punch – Chelsea’s shoulders dropped, City’s confidence went through the roof.
78' – 4-1, Erling Haaland (hat-trick)
Because of course he wasn’t done. A long diagonal from Rodri found Foden, who cushioned a header into space. Haaland timed his run to perfection, held off his marker and dinked delicately over the keeper. Not just power – pure finesse. Hat-trick complete, game dead, title message delivered. The whole stadium chanting his name, and he just stood there, arms out, soaking it in. Big-time player, big-time night.
Chelsea barely laid a glove on City in the final 20 minutes. Palmer kept trying to spark something, but Rúben Dias and the back line were in total lockdown mode. For Chelsea’s attackers, it was a frustrating evening of half-chances and blocked shots.
Stars watch: heroes and flops
Erling Haaland – absolute hero. Three goals, constant movement, bullied the centre-backs all night. His link-up was sharp, his finishing lethal. This is the version of Haaland that terrifies the rest of the league.Kevin De Bruyne – vintage magician. Two assists, endless control of tempo. Every time he got on the ball, Chelsea panicked. His passing angles just break defensive brains.
Phil Foden – chaos creator. One goal, one assist, loads of progressive runs. He popped up everywhere between the lines and Chelsea never figured him out.
Cole Palmer – lone bright spark for Chelsea. His goal was pure quality, and he looked like the only one truly believing they could hurt City. But he was way too isolated once City turned the screw.
Chelsea defence – rough, rough night. Outmuscled by Haaland, out-thought by De Bruyne, outpaced by Foden. Once the second went in, the line kept dropping deeper and deeper, and City just picked them apart.
What this does to the Premier League table
This win is massive. City’s three points crank the pressure right back on the rest of the top four. Goal difference swings their way, momentum clearly on their side, and suddenly every rival knows: drop points now, and City will be all over you.Chelsea, meanwhile, slide back into that brutal scrap for European spots. With this kind of defeat, their confidence takes a hit, and their defensive issues are again exposed on the biggest stage.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in today's soccer games
Across Europe, the scoreboard didn’t stop ticking. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham once again delivered in the clutch, scoring a late winner for Real Madrid after a tight 1-1 grind turned frantic. He ghosted into the box, met a low cross first time, and tucked it into the bottom corner – classic arriving-late midfielder stuff. Fans are already calling him the heartbeat of Madrid’s Champions League push.In Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG, including a filthy solo goal where he burned two defenders and rifled into the roof of the net. But defensively, PSG still looked shaky and conceded from a set piece, leaving plenty of questions ahead of their next Champions League clash.
Social Media Spotlight: the Internet loses its mind
The hot topic tonight? That first-half VAR penalty for Haaland. Chelsea fans are raging, City fans are posting freeze-frames insisting it was clear contact, and neutral fans are… doing what neutral fans always do: spamming memes.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the Haaland VAR penalty call
My take: this is City’s "we're still here" moment
Let’s be real: performances like this are why everyone is terrified of City in the run-in. The combination of Haaland’s brutality in front of goal, De Bruyne’s genius, and Foden’s chaos is just unfair when they click like this. The energy, the pressing, the swagger – it felt like peak City again.For Chelsea, though? In my opinion, this was a reality check. You can’t go to the Etihad with a soft midfield screen and expect to survive 90 minutes. The structure fell apart once they went behind, and there was no real plan B. If they want to be more than "promising project" and actually compete, the big-game mentality has to change, starting from the dugout.
The title race? It just got spicy. City are roaring, other contenders now know there’s zero margin for error, and every weekend from here is going to feel like a final.
Check full stats & standings now
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