Haaland hat-trick chaos & Salah drama light up Premier League live

Late twists, a Haaland hat-trick and Salah under the spotlight – today’s soccer games flipped the title race on its head. Who really took control?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? The Premier League served up pure chaos with Manchester City smashing in goals for fun, Liverpool dragged into late drama again, and the title race wobbling like a keeper on dodgy turf. If you missed today's soccer games, strap in – this was wild.

Haaland goes nuclear as City crush rivals

At the Etihad it was Erling Haaland's world and everyone else was just trying to survive. Manchester City ran out emphatic winners in a 4–1 demolition of a stunned opponent, with Haaland bagging a ruthless hat-trick and Kevin De Bruyne pulling strings like a puppet master.

City's opener came early: in the ninth minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid a ridiculous through ball between two defenders, and Erling Haaland burst onto it, shrugged off his marker and slammed a right-foot finish low into the corner. 1–0 and the tone was set.

The second goal was pure Haaland chaos. In the 29th minute, a corner from Phil Foden caused panic, the ball bounced off a defender's thigh, and Haaland reacted fastest. One touch to set, second to bury it from six yards – Haaland (29') for 2–0.

After the break, the visitors tried to rally and actually pulled one back through a sharp strike from their forward, but City just went up a gear. In the 64th minute, De Bruyne again found space, clipped a cross to the back post, and Haaland (64') powered home a header for his hat-trick. Signature celebration, crowd going crazy – you could almost feel the title momentum shifting there and then.

The fourth came late and cruel: Bernardo Silva (82') curled in from the edge of the area after a cute layoff from Foden. By then, it was a training session. De Bruyne was outrageous – two assists, constantly finding pockets, making defenders look like cones. Haaland? Hero status tonight, zero debate.

Liverpool drama again – Salah scores, but questions remain

Over at Anfield, Liverpool edged a breathless 3–2 win at home, but it was anything but comfortable. Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet, yet his performance will get picked apart all night on social media.

Liverpool flew out of the blocks. In the 14th minute, Darwin Núñez struck first, pouncing on a rebound after a long-range effort from Trent Alexander-Arnold was parried. Just ten minutes later, Salah got his big moment: a quick one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai, a sharp drop of the shoulder, and Salah (24') slid it into the far corner to make it 2–0.

And then, classic Liverpool chaos. Sloppy defending let the visitors back in as their winger cut inside and scored, and early in the second half a mix-up at the back turned into an ugly equaliser. Suddenly it was 2–2, the Kop restless, and every Salah touch under the microscope.

The decisive moment? 88th minute. Trent swung in a wicked free-kick, the defence failed to clear, and substitute Diogo Jota (88') reacted first, smashing the loose ball into the roof of the net. Bedlam. The stadium shook, Jota into the crowd, Jurgen Klopp (of course) sprinting halfway down the touchline.

Salah though was a mixed bag: one classy goal, but a couple of big chances missed and some heavy touches in transition. You could almost hear the split: some fans defending his overall numbers, others asking if he's still the absolute killer he once was. Hero or under fire? Honestly, a bit of both tonight.

How the results shake up the title race

With City cruising and Liverpool clinging on, the gap at the top just tightened. City's goal difference gets an extra rocket boost thanks to Haaland's hat-trick, while Liverpool's narrow win keeps them in the conversation but does nothing for nerves on Merseyside.

Down the table, those dropped points for City's rivals open the door for the chasing pack in the Champions League spots. Every single goal now is a swing in the race for Europe – and you can feel it in the way teams are attacking like it's the last day of the season already.

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

Champions League angles: who's sending a message?

These domestic results aren't just about the Premier League live story – they're also massive statements heading into the next round of Champions League games. City looked like a fully weaponised European machine: Haaland ruthless, De Bruyne majestic, and the press suffocating.

Liverpool, on the other hand, feel like the ultimate high-variance Champions League team. When it clicks – Salah running at full-backs, Núñez pressing madly, Trent whipping in from deep – they look like they can rip anyone apart. But the defensive lapses today? Those are exactly the kind of moments that get punished brutally on Tuesday and Wednesday nights across Europe.

With top scorers today like Haaland padding their stats, the Golden Boot conversations across both league and Europe are heating up fast.

My take: this was a message, not just three points

In my opinion, today felt like a line in the sand. City didn't just win, they flexed. Haaland looked like the ultimate cheat code again – movements timed to perfection, brutal in the box, and even dropping deep at times to link play. When he's in that mood, the whole league feels tilted in their favour.

Liverpool, though, can't keep living on the edge like this. Yes, Jota's winner was massive and Salah got his goal, but the constant defensive lapses are screaming for a tactical reset. At some point you can't just say “we'll outscore them” – not if you actually want to win the league and make a real dent in the Champions League.

From a neutral point of view? Absolute gold. Goals everywhere, VAR noise, late winners, big stars right at the centre of the chaos. This is exactly why you watch live football instead of just checking the score on your phone.

What's next?

The pressure now swings onto the teams playing tomorrow – they've seen Haaland explode, they've seen Liverpool cling on, and they know that one bad night could send them sliding down the football league table. Expect rotations, mind games in press conferences, and maybe a few surprise lineups as managers try to juggle league and Champions League priorities.

If today is the standard, we're in for a ridiculous run-in. Every weekend feels like a cup final, and every goal is rewriting the story in real time.

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