Haaland at the double as Man City smash Brighton – title race live

Man City smashed Brighton, Haaland hit a ruthless brace, while Arsenal and Liverpool both stumbled. Dive into today’s wild football results and late drama.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-01-24, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? The football results today across Europe’s top leagues just blew the title races wide open. Manchester City dropped a statement win at the Etihad, Arsenal slipped in a shock draw, and over in Spain, Real Madrid needed their superstars to drag them through a tense night in La Liga.

Premier League Live Shockwaves: City Ruthless, Arsenal Slip

At the Etihad, Manchester City absolutely destroyed Brighton 4-1 in a game that felt like a training session by the end. Erling Haaland was in full cheat-code mode again: he bagged a brutal brace, scoring City’s first and third goals. The opener came after slick interplay from Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, with Haaland smashing low into the corner. His second? Classic Haaland – bullying the centre?back, darting onto a through ball, and lashing it home from just inside the box.

The other City goals came from Phil Foden, who curled in a beauty from the edge of the area, and Bernardo Silva, finishing off a cut?back after a dizzying team move. For Brighton, João Pedro grabbed a consolation, slotting home a rebound after a scramble from a corner, but the scoreline honestly flatters them.

Haaland was the undisputed hero – constantly dragging defenders around, pressing like a madman, and looking sharp every time he touched the ball. De Bruyne, meanwhile, was the conductor, spraying passes everywhere. The only disappointment for City? They actually could have scored six. Brighton had no answers.

Up in North London, it was a completely different story. Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle felt like two dropped points for Mikel Arteta’s side. Bukayo Saka fired the Gunners ahead after just 15 minutes, cutting inside onto his left and sending a deflected effort beyond the keeper. Arsenal were flying early, with Martin Ødegaard pulling strings.

But Newcastle refused to die. In the second half, Alexander Isak equalised with a cool, composed finish, slipping the ball past the keeper after a clever pass from Bruno Guimarães. The biggest talking point? A wild VAR moment in stoppage time. Arsenal thought they had a penalty when Saka went down under a tangle with Dan Burn. The stadium exploded, Arteta was raging on the touchline, but after a lengthy VAR check, the decision was no penalty. The boos at full-time said it all.

In terms of star performances, Saka was lively but faded late, Ødegaard was tidy without truly dominating, while for Newcastle, Isak and Guimarães were absolute warriors. If you’re an Arsenal fan, this one hurts in the title race.

Liverpool Grind, Chelsea Stumble Again

At Anfield, Liverpool 2-0 West Ham was vintage grinding mode from Jürgen Klopp’s side. Mohamed Salah broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after he was clipped by the keeper, sending his spot-kick calmly into the bottom corner. He might not have scored from open play today, but his movement and link-up play were razor sharp, constantly pulling West Ham’s back line out of shape.

The second goal came from Darwin Núñez, who powered in a header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross. Núñez was chaos as usual – missed a big chance, smashed the bar once, then finally got his goal. Salah, meanwhile, wasn’t just a scorer; his pressing and creativity opened up lanes all afternoon.

Chelsea, though… wow. Chelsea 1-1 Wolves at Stamford Bridge was another frustrating chapter in their chaotic season. Cole Palmer scored a lovely opener, guiding a low shot into the far corner after drifting in from the right. For a while it looked like the Blues had things under control. Then, out of nowhere, Matheus Cunha pounced on a defensive mix-up and slammed in the equaliser. Chelsea huffed and puffed, but with Raheem Sterling quiet and Palmer increasingly crowded out, they never found the winner.

La Liga & Champions League Hopefuls: Bellingham & Mbappé Deliver

Over in Spain, Real Madrid 2-1 Sevilla turned into the Jude Bellingham show late on. Sevilla shocked the Bernabéu first: Youssef En-Nesyri hit a powerful header from a corner to make it 1-0. Madrid were flat, Vinícius Júnior was wasteful, and the crowd grew restless.

Then the stars woke up. Vinícius Júnior equalised with a driven shot across the keeper after cutting in from the left. Not long after, it was that man Jude Bellingham who stole it – timing his late run into the box perfectly, taking a cut-back in his stride, and passing the ball into the far corner. No wild power, just icy composure. Once again, Bellingham played hero, while Sevilla were left furious at a late offside flag that denied them a second equaliser.

In France, PSG 3-0 Lyon was all about Kylian Mbappé. He struck twice – first with a curling finish into the top corner, then with a ruthless one-on-one after shredding the offside line. The third PSG goal came from Ousmane Dembélé, who hammered one in from the edge of the area. Mbappé was unplayable, constantly tormenting the Lyon defence with his pace. Total domination, total superstar performance.

Title Race Picture: Who's on Top Now?

City's win puts massive pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool. Dropped points for Arsenal at home could prove brutal later in the season, while Liverpool quietly keep stacking wins. Chelsea, meanwhile, keep drifting away from the Champions League places and feel stuck in mid-table chaos.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR Meltdown & Haaland Hype

Online, the two biggest flashpoints are obvious: that late Arsenal penalty no-call and the sheer brutality of Haaland's finishing. X (Twitter) is split right down the middle – neutrals laughing, Arsenal fans fuming, and City fans already posting "league's done" memes.

Reporter's Take: Pressure, Panic & Pure Class

Here's my honest read: Manchester City look like they're shifting into that scary spring mode where they just roll over everyone. With Haaland this sharp and De Bruyne purring, they're still the team to beat, no matter how good Arsenal and Liverpool have looked across the season.

For Arsenal, this feels like one of those results you look back on in May and wince. At home, leading, failing to kill the game, then relying on a 50/50 VAR call at the end – that's not the mark of ruthless champions yet. Arteta has to find a way to keep the intensity high for 90+ minutes, not just in bursts.

Liverpool, though, are quietly terrifying. They didn't dazzle, but they controlled West Ham, locked things down at the back, and Salah once again delivered when it mattered. That combination of control and star power is exactly what wins titles over a long season.

In Europe, Bellingham and Mbappé keep sending Champions League warnings. Bellingham just lives for clutch moments, and Mbappé looks like he's playing a different sport at times. If those two stay fit, Real Madrid and PSG are going to be absolute nightmares in the knockout rounds.

Closing Whistle: This Race Is Now Officially Chaos

So, summing up the football results today

If you want to really feel how big today was, you have to look at the live table and see how tight it is at the top and how messy it's getting in the European spots.

Check full stats & standings now

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