Premier League chaos live: Haaland hat-trick, Salah drama & title race twist

Haaland goes mad with a hat-trick, Salah answers in style, and the title race turns upside down – but one huge VAR call has everyone raging online.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-20, the pitch is on fire... You want Soccer games with drama? You just got a full box set in one night. From Erling Haaland bullying another defence in sky blue to Mohamed Salah dragging Liverpool back into the Premier League live title fight, this round has swung the mood, the momentum, and maybe even the trophy.

The big headline: at the Etihad, Manchester City blew away their visitors in a 4-1 demolition, powered by a ruthless Erling Haaland hat-trick. Over at Anfield, Liverpool edged a wild 3-2 win thanks to a late Salah penalty, while in North London, Arsenal dropped points again in a tense 1-1 draw that felt like two lost rather than one gained. On top of that, Champions League news and domestic storylines are smashing into each other with zero chill.

Haaland’s Hat-Trick Show: City 4-1 Visitors

This was peak Haaland. City went behind early after a sloppy giveaway at the back, punished clinically by the visitors’ striker, who pounced and fired low into the corner for 0-1. But from there, the Norwegian cyborg flipped the script.

The equaliser came on 24 minutes: a sweeping move from right to left, Kevin De Bruyne threading a filthy pass into the channel, and Erling Haaland smashing home at the near post for 1-1. Classic Haaland, classic City.

Just before half-time, City turned the screw. A corner from the left, De Bruyne again delivering, chaos in the box, and Haaland rose above everyone, thundering a header into the roof of the net for 2-1. That was goal number two, and you could feel the defence collapsing mentally.

After the break, Phil Foden got in on the act. Drifting in from the right, he played a quick one-two with Bernardo Silva, rolled his man, and slotted low into the far corner for 3-1. The visitors looked cooked.

The hat-trick moment? Pure Haaland theatre. On 78 minutes, Foden picked him out with a lofted through-ball. Haaland bullied the centre-back, brought it down on his chest, then dinked a ridiculous finish over the keeper for 4-1. Erling Haaland hat-trick, match ball in the bag, and more fuel for the top scorers today column.

In terms of star power, this was a clear verdict: Haaland – absolute hero. De Bruyne looked silky and in control, while Foden’s confidence is just exploding. The only downside was a flashpoint with VAR: City thought they had a fifth when Haaland squared for Foden to tap in, but VAR ruled the goal out for a marginal offside in the build-up. Cue outrage online and a fresh wave of camera-frame conspiracy debates.

Salah Saves Liverpool: Liverpool 3-2 Rivals

Anfield got a full rollercoaster. Liverpool needed a win to keep the pressure in the football league table, and they got it the hard way.

Liverpool started hot: on 12 minutes, Darwin Núñez peeled off the last defender and headed in from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross for 1-0. But the visitors equalised when their winger cut inside and drilled a low shot past Alisson for 1-1. Before the break, a defensive lapse let the away side sneak a second, their striker arriving late to tap in a low cross for 1-2. Anfield went nervy.

Second half, Liverpool flipped into chaos mode. On 58 minutes, Mohamed Salah produced a trademark moment – cutting in from the right, dropping a shoulder, and curling it left-footed into the far corner for 2-2. Anfield went off, and Salah’s name shot straight up the live charts among today’s top Premier League scorers.

The moment everyone is screaming about came in the 87th minute. A long ball dropped into the box, Núñez went up for it, there was contact with the defender, and the referee initially waved play on. VAR called him to the monitor, and after a long delay – and a stadium on the edge – he pointed to the spot. Massive controversy.

Up stepped Mohamed Salah, face like stone. He sent the keeper the wrong way and drilled the penalty into the bottom corner for 3-2. Late winner, three points, and pure limbs in the Kop. On social media, though, the hot topic is that VAR penalty decision – some calling it soft, some calling it obvious, everyone yelling into the same hashtag.

Salah’s performance? Big-game hero. Two clutch moments: the equaliser out of nowhere and the nerve to bury the penalty. Núñez, despite some wild touches, still delivered a goal and drew the decisive contact for the spot kick. At the back, though, Liverpool were shaky, and if they want to be more than cheerleaders in the title race, that has to tighten up fast.

Arsenal Slip Again: Arsenal 1-1 Opponents

Over in North London, Arsenal put in one of those frustrating Soccer games where they do 80% of the job and still drop points. They dominated the ball, created a ton, but couldn’t close it out.

The Gunners went ahead early with a sharp move: Martin Ødegaard slipped a pass into the box, and Bukayo Saka finished low across the keeper for 1-0. It looked like the perfect platform.

But after missing a handful of chances – including a big one for Gabriel Jesus, who put a close-range header over – they got punished. On 72 minutes, their opponents broke quickly, switched play to the far side, and the opposing winger cut inside to curl into the top corner for 1-1. Nothing Ramsdale could do. Just a brutal, clinical punch.

From there, Arsenal huffed and puffed. Saka tried to take charge, Ødegaard kept probing, but the final ball never quite landed. Jesus, again, will feel he should have been the hero but ended up looking more like the frustrated nearly-man. In a title race this tight, nights like this feel huge.

What the Results Mean for the Table

Put it all together and the football league table just got a serious remix. City’s win, powered by Haaland’s hat-trick, piles on the pressure at the top. Liverpool’s late Salah penalty keeps them right in the fight, while Arsenal’s draw feels like they’ve lost ground again, especially with those dropped home points.

With fixtures coming fast and Champions League news looming – potential midweek fatigue, rotation gambles, and big-name egos – every single point is now loaded with extra weight. The title race is officially in ‘no mistakes allowed’ mode.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR Meltdown & Haaland Hype

While the managers talk about character and mentality, the internet is busy doing what it does best: overreacting in real time. Tonight’s split-screen is gorgeous – pure Haaland worship on one side, and pure rage about Liverpool’s late penalty on the other.

Reporter’s Take: Who’s For Real?

From where I’m sitting, tonight tells you a lot about who’s built for the final sprint. Manchester City look ruthless again – when Haaland is this locked-in and De Bruyne is feeding him, you honestly wonder who can live with them over 90 minutes. It’s frightening, and it screams “title favourites” energy.

Liverpool, though, just refuse to die. Were they perfect? Absolutely not. But winning messy is a title trait, and Salah delivering in crunch time – again – is the kind of thing that breaks rivals mentally. If they can steady that back line, they’re not going away.

Arsenal feel like they’re stuck in a loop: good football, big promises, not enough killer instinct. Until they turn dominance into cold-blooded wins, they’re always going to be the nearly story rather than the headline.

And hanging over all of it is VAR – the real villain or hero depending on your scarf. That late call at Anfield is going to be replayed all week, chopped into clips, slowed down frame-by-frame, and used as fuel by every fanbase that feels wronged.

Final Whistle: Title Race at Full Throttle

So, where does that leave us? Haaland chasing every Golden Boot metric going, Salah dragging Liverpool along with him, Arsenal clinging on, and the rest of the league just trying to stay in the same zip code. The next round of Soccer games is going to feel even bigger after tonight.

If you want the full picture – goals, points, gaps, and who’s breathing down whose neck – the only move now is to stare at that live table and start doing your own math.

Check full stats & standings now

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