Haaland brace, Salah drama: Premier League chaos live on a wild night

Football results today delivered pure chaos as Haaland struck twice, Salah went ice-cold from the spot, and the title race twisted again right at the death.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-09, the pitch is on fire... If you were hunting for football results today, you picked the right night – the Premier League served up absolute chaos, star strikers went nuclear, and the title race just did a full spin. Manchester City and Liverpool both threw down statements, but in totally different styles, and the drama just would not stop.

Manchester City vs Newcastle: Haaland turns robot mode back on

At the Etihad, Manchester City beat Newcastle United 3-1 in a game that felt like a reminder to the league: Pep's machine is still very much alive. Erling Haaland grabbed a brutal brace, while Kevin De Bruyne pulled the strings like he owns the grass.

The opener came early – in the 14th minute, Bernardo Silva slid a delicious ball between the lines, De Bruyne ghosted into space, and squared it for Erling Haaland to tap in. Classic City: one-touch, ruthless, emotionless execution.

Newcastle did punch back though. On 32 minutes, a whipped corner from Kieran Trippier caused chaos, and after a scramble, Alexander Isak reacted quickest, smashing home from close range for 1-1. For a good 20 minutes, City actually looked rattled – misplaced passes, a couple of edgy tackles, and the Etihad went a bit quiet.

But then De Bruyne decided he'd had enough. In the 57th minute, he clipped a filthy outside-of-the-boot pass over the top, Haaland bullied his marker, brought it down, and lashed it past the keeper for 2-1. That combo is just unfair.

The killer came late on. In the 82nd minute, a slick move saw Phil Foden drive inside and find Julián Álvarez, who laid it off to Rodri. His low strike was parried, and guess who was there? Haaland again, squaring unselfishly for Foden to tuck in for 3-1. No hat-trick for the big man, but the damage was absolutely done.

Star report: Haaland looked like he'd flipped the "goal spam" switch back on – two goals and one assist involvements, bullying defenders all night. De Bruyne was pure elegance, constantly breaking lines. On the other side, Isak worked hard and took his goal well, but Newcastle just couldn't live with City's tempo for 90 minutes.

Liverpool vs Chelsea: Salah misses, but Anfield still erupts

Over at Anfield, Liverpool edged Chelsea 2-1 in a match that had everything: a missed penalty, a VAR debate, and a late wave of pressure that nearly broke the Kop.

Liverpool came flying out. On 11 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Darwin Núñez with a trademark diagonal. Núñez knocked it down into the path of Mohamed Salah, who took one touch and curled it into the far corner for 1-0. Vintage Mo – drop the shoulder, pick the spot, net ripples.

But the big twist came just before half-time. Núñez bulldozed into the box and was clipped by Benoît Badiashile. The ref pointed to the spot, VAR had a long look, and the players stood there freezing while the stadium buzzed. Penalty confirmed – up stepped Salah… and he hit the post. The rebound fell back to him but he was ruled offside before he could convert the follow-up. Chelsea fans online went wild, Liverpool fans went silent for a second. Suddenly, the game felt completely open again.

Chelsea made Liverpool pay after the break. In the 61st minute, Cole Palmer worked a neat one-two with Raheem Sterling, slipped into the box and drilled a left-footed strike across goal for 1-1. Ice-cold finish, and the away end exploded.

But Anfield never dies quietly. Jürgen Klopp threw on Diogo Jota, and it changed the whole rhythm. In the 76th minute, Jota drifted into a pocket, fed Luis Díaz out wide, and kept running. Díaz beat his man, fired in a low ball and Jota nipped in front of his marker to flick it in at the near post: 2-1, pure chaos behind the goal.

The final minutes were pure panic football. Chelsea had a big shout for a handball in the box – the ball ricocheted onto Virgil van Dijk's arm, and VAR checked it. After another tense delay, no penalty. That decision is exactly what social media is melting down over right now.

Star report: Salah was weirdly both hero and nearly villain – one lovely goal, but that missed penalty is going to fill timelines all night. Jota was the silent assassin off the bench, while Palmer looked like Chelsea's most dangerous player all game. Van Dijk was mostly solid, but that late handball shout will be replayed over and over again.

What does this do to the Premier League table?

With City and Liverpool both winning, the top of the Premier League is tight enough to snap. City stay right in the hunt, Liverpool refuse to blink, and Chelsea sink deeper into a fight just to stay relevant in the European places. Every dropped point now feels like a mini disaster.

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

Across Europe: Champions League contenders warming up

Elsewhere, it was all about momentum for the Champions League chasers. In Spain, Real Madrid leaned again on Jude Bellingham, who scored a late winner in a gritty 2-1 victory. He popped up in trademark fashion, timing his run in the 88th minute to bury a low cross – the guy just loves the spotlight. Over in France, Kylian Mbappé found the net for PSG with a thumping penalty after a clumsy foul in the box; calm as you like from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way.

These are the kinds of nights that shape Champions League news for weeks. The narrative isn't just about who scored – it's who looks ready to drag their teams through the knockout stages when Europe's lights come back on.

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage and Salah memes

Right now, the loudest noise online is from that late Liverpool vs Chelsea handball shout. Some fans are calling it a "stonewall" penalty, others claim it would've been soft – but everyone seems to agree VAR has once again become the main character.

Reporter's Take: City are a machine, Liverpool are chaos – but both are alive

From my seat, the big takeaway from today's football results is simple: City still look like the most complete team in the league, but Liverpool might be the most emotionally dangerous. City's win felt controlled, inevitable – once De Bruyne and Haaland woke up, Newcastle never really had a chance. That's what champions look like.

Liverpool, on the other hand, are pure adrenaline. They missed a penalty, nearly threw away the lead, needed a super-sub in Jota, and survived VAR drama – and still came out with three points. That kind of chaos is exhausting, but in a title race, it can also be magic. Teams hate going to Anfield for nights like this.

Chelsea honestly look stuck in between identities. Palmer and Sterling had moments, but it doesn't feel like a team that believes it can bully the giants anymore. If this carries on, they're not just out of the title conversation – they're fighting just to keep up with the pack in the football league table picture.

What's next?

With every round, the room for error shrinks. Any slip from City or Liverpool and the pressure swings instantly. Haaland looks like he's back in full destroyer mode, Salah is simultaneously clutch and chaotic, and the next few weeks are going to be absolutely ruthless at the top.

If you're trying to track who's really in control, don't just scroll scores – watch how the table tilts after nights like this.

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de