Haaland Hattrick Chaos: Man City v Liverpool goes wild – live drama

Man City edge Liverpool in a 5-goal thriller as Erling Haaland explodes with a hattrick – but a late Liverpool strike and huge VAR call light up the night.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? You got absolute chaos at the Etihad. Manchester City and Liverpool just served up a 3-2 blockbuster that looked like a Champions League semi-final dropped into the Premier League. Erling Haaland went full machine mode with a ruthless hattrick, Mohamed Salah dragged Liverpool back into it, and a late VAR scare had every fan holding their breath.

This is exactly the kind of football results today energy you live for – goals, drama, star power, and a title race twisting in real time.

Man City 3–2 Liverpool: Haaland vs Salah, pure box-office

This one started at 100 mph. City got on the board early: in the 11th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball into space, Haaland bullied his marker, opened up his body and buried it bottom-left. Erling Haaland 1–0.

Liverpool didn’t fold. On 27 minutes, Darwin Núñez dropped into the half-space, spun his man and fed Mohamed Salah on the right. Salah chopped inside and smashed a left-foot curler past Ederson for 1–1. Classic Salah: no angle, no problem.

But City’s response was brutal. Just before half-time, a recycled corner found Phil Foden at the edge of the box. His deflected shot fell perfectly to Haaland, who reacted first and poked in from close range for his second of the night. Haaland again – 2–1 City.

Second half: Haaland completes the hattrick, Liverpool nearly steal a point

Whatever Pep said at half-time clearly hit. On 59 minutes, De Bruyne broke Liverpool’s press and fed Foden wide left. One touch inside, dinked cross, and of course it’s Haaland in the middle. Towering header, bullet into the far corner. Haaland hattrick. 3–1 City. The Etihad absolutely lost it.

Liverpool, though, refused to die. Jürgen Klopp threw on Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott, and suddenly City looked rattled. In the 74th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold swung in a wicked diagonal ball, Núñez knocked it down and Jota slammed it home from 10 yards. Diogo Jota – 3–2, game back on.

Then came the big talking point. Deep into stoppage time, a loose ball in the City box hit Rúben Dias on the arm as he went to ground. Liverpool screamed for a penalty, the ref waved play on, and VAR took a long look. The stadium froze. After what felt like a lifetime, the on-field decision stood – no penalty. City escape. Liverpool fumes. Social media meltdown activated.

Stars under the spotlight: Heroes and flops

• Erling Haaland (Man City) – Hat trick hero. Killer movement, outrageous physicality, and absolutely ruthless in front of goal. This is the kind of night that wins Golden Boots and titles.
• Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Two assists, dictating tempo, constantly finding space behind Liverpool’s midfield. Not perfect defensively, but on the ball: pure genius.
• Phil Foden (Man City) – Not on the scoresheet, but heavily involved in both open-play Haaland goals. His decision-making in tight spaces was elite tonight.
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – One stunning goal, several dangerous runs, and kept forcing one-v-ones. But he faded a little in the last 15 when Liverpool needed one last moment of magic.
• Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – No goal, but grabbed a smart assist for Salah and caused chaos with his movement. Still, he missed a decent headed chance at 2–1 that he’ll hate watching back.
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – Had his hands full with Haaland all night. Won some big duels but lost the key ones. On this evidence, Haaland just has his number physically.

Premier League context: Title race on a knife-edge

This result is huge. City’s win pushes them back to the top of the pile, edging ahead of the chasing pack while Liverpool are left scrambling to keep pace. Haaland’s treble also launches him right back into the Golden Boot spotlight and keeps the pressure on every other forward in the league.

Arsenal and the rest of the top four will be watching this thinking, “Seriously? We needed City to slip.” Instead, City slam three past a direct rival and send a message to the whole league: the champions aren’t in the mood to hand over that crown.

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

Other key football results today

Across Europe, the drama didn’t stop in Manchester. In La Liga, Real Madrid squeezed out a tight 1–0 win thanks to a clinical second-half strike from Jude Bellingham, who ghosted into the box and finished coolly after a cutback from Vinícius Júnior. Bellingham wasn’t at his absolute best, but he does what superstars do: shows up in the decisive moment.

Over in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace in a 3–1 Paris Saint-Germain win. First, he smashed a penalty into the top corner, then later curled in a beauty from the edge of the area. Defenders knew exactly what he wanted to do, and still couldn’t stop him. Classic Mbappé.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern’s attack shared the love: Harry Kane scored from the spot, Jamal Musiala added a slick solo goal, and Bayern cruised to a comfortable victory that keeps them right at the top of their own league table.

Premier League live storylines: who’s chasing who?

Right now, every single point feels like a finals game. City’s win over Liverpool not only boosts their own total but also dents Liverpool’s momentum just when they looked like they might go on a run. The football league table is shifting and stretching with every result, and nights like this turn narrow gaps into real psychological blows.

If you’re tracking Premier League live and obsessing over who’s on top, who’s slipping, and who’s charging into European spots, that updated table is your bible.

For the full context – who’s up, who’s down, and who’s clinging on to the top four – hit the live table link above and refresh it like your life depends on it.

My take: this felt like a statement win

Honestly, this didn’t just feel like a big win – it felt like a statement from City. When your number 9 drops a hattrick against a direct rival, you’re not just collecting three points; you’re planting a flag on top of the league and daring anyone to knock it down.

From where I’m sitting, Liverpool’s performance was brave but too open. You can’t give De Bruyne and Foden that much space between the lines and expect Haaland not to feast. Klopp’s substitutions were aggressive and nearly paid off, but relying on late chaos and refereeing calls is a dangerous way to live in a title race.

In my opinion, if Liverpool want to actually steal this league, they’ve got to tighten up against the big boys away from home. Meanwhile, City just keep doing City things: suffocating possession, lethal in transitions, and a striker who turns half-chances into hattricks.

What’s next?

From here, every fixture for these two smells like a must-win. The top scorers today – Haaland, Mbappé, Bellingham, Kane – are all making sure the spotlight stays firmly on them, and we’re going to be talking about this City–Liverpool clash all week. Expect more VAR talk, more debates over the handball law, and endless arguments about who really is the best striker on the planet right now.

If you’re hooked on Premier League live action, Champions League news chatter, and every twist at the top of Europe’s elite leagues, keep one eye on the fixtures and the other on that live table. Nights like this rewrite the story of the season.

Check full stats & standings now

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