Haaland hat-trick chaos & Spurs stun Arsenal – Premier League live drama
22.02.2026 - 12:00:58 | ad-hoc-news.de
City 4-2 Liverpool – Haaland rage mode, Salah heartbreak
This was box-office from the first whistle. Manchester City and Liverpool traded punches in a six-goal thriller that’s going to live on every highlight reel tonight.
City drew first blood when Erling Haaland bullied his way between the centre-backs and powered home a header from a Kevin De Bruyne cross on 14 minutes. 1-0, and you could feel the Etihad vibrating. But Liverpool hit straight back: on 22 minutes, Mohamed Salah curled in a trademark left-foot finish after a slick one-two with Darwin Núñez. That’s Salah all over – ghosting into the half-space, one touch to set, second touch bottom corner. 1-1 and game on.
Then came the first slice of chaos. Just before the break, Haaland turned provider, sliding in Phil Foden on the inside-right channel. Foden chopped inside Virgil van Dijk and smashed a left-foot rocket into the top corner on 42 minutes. 2-1 City and the home fans were losing it.
The second half was Haaland’s show. On 58 minutes, a long ball from Rodri dropped awkwardly, Haaland muscled Ibrahima Konaté away, shrugged off a tug, and lashed low past Alisson for his second. 3-1, and you could see Liverpool’s back line wobbling.
But Liverpool never die quietly. On 71 minutes, substitute Diogo Jota pounced on a loose ball after a Trent Alexander-Arnold shot was blocked and squeezed it under Ederson. 3-2, and suddenly the away end believed again.
Then the moment everyone is arguing about: on 79 minutes, City thought they were about to concede a penalty when Jota went down under a challenge from Rúben Dias. The referee pointed to the spot, the stadium froze, and VAR rolled in. After a long, painful delay, the decision was overturned for what looked like the slightest contact on the ball by Dias. Liverpool players went ballistic, Salah in particular screaming at the fourth official. No penalty. Instead, City broke upfield from the restart and killed it.
On 83 minutes, completing his hat-trick, Erling Haaland latched onto a slick De Bruyne backheel, chopped onto his right, and drilled low across Alisson. 4-2. Game, set, title statement.
Star verdicts? Haaland was a full-on cheat code – three goals, one assist, constant menace. De Bruyne didn’t even need to hit top gear to run the show with two assists. For Liverpool, Salah still delivered in the big moment with that first-half equaliser, but he faded as City upped the tempo, and his frustration at the VAR call told the whole story. Van Dijk had one of his more human nights – dragged wide, pulled into awkward duels, and never truly comfortable with Haaland rampaging around him.
Tottenham 3-2 Arsenal – Derby madness and a late dagger
If you’re an Arsenal fan, look away. If you’re Spurs, you’re replaying this forever. The North London derby was pure anarchy: lead swings, defensive meltdowns, and a last-minute winner that could echo through the whole season.
Arsenal started like a title-chasing machine. On 9 minutes, Bukayo Saka cut in from the right and whipped one that deflected off a defender and wrong-footed the keeper. 0-1 and Arsenal in full control early on. Then, on 27 minutes, a slick move saw Gabriel Jesus tap in from close range after Martin Ødegaard sliced Spurs open with a perfect through ball. 0-2 and it looked like a routine beatdown was loading.
But Tottenham refused to fold. Right before half-time, Son Heung-min produced a captain’s moment. Collecting the ball on the left in the 44th minute, he drove inside, rolled William Saliba, and smashed low into the far corner. 1-2 and the place erupted.
The second half turned scrappy and tense. Then came the flashpoint. On 63 minutes, Arsenal thought they had a penalty when Saka tumbled under a challenge from Destiny Udogie. Ref gave it. VAR checked. Penalty overturned. Déjà vu vibes after what happened in the City-Liverpool game, and social media instantly went nuclear.
That non-call gave Spurs life. On 70 minutes, Son slipped in James Maddison on the edge of the box, and Maddison drilled a low drive into the bottom corner to make it 2-2. Emirates hearts sank, Spurs fans lost their minds.
And then the killer. Deep into stoppage time, 90+3, a Spurs corner wasn’t cleared. The ball dropped to substitute Richarlison, who smashed a bouncing shot through a crowd and into the net. 3-2 Spurs. Bedlam. The whole bench sprinted to the corner flag, and Arsenal players just collapsed.
Star verdicts here? Son Heung-min was massive: a goal, an assist, and constant work off the ball. Maddison finally looked like the creative hub Spurs signed him to be, with that huge equaliser. For Arsenal, Saka got his goal but spent most of the second half locked in complaints and appeals, clearly rattled by the overturned penalty. Ødegaard sparkled in patches but disappeared when the tempo rose and Spurs turned it into a fistfight.
Title race + live table context
So what do today’s football results do to the bigger picture? City’s win over Liverpool is a straight-up power play in the title chase, while Arsenal’s meltdown at Spurs could be the kind of moment we look back on if they fall just short in May. City tighten their grip at the top, Liverpool lose crucial ground, and Arsenal might have just handed the momentum across the city.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – VAR rage and derby scenes
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the overturned VAR penalty and Haaland's ruthless hat-trick
My take: genius, chaos, and some seriously lucky managers
Let’s be real: this felt like one of those days where the whole league tilted. From a young reporter’s seat, here’s the hot take – Pep Guardiola and City are still the standard, and when Haaland smells blood like this, everyone else just looks small. City weren’t even flawless at the back, but their stars delivered in the big, brutal moments. That’s what champions do.
For Liverpool, in my opinion, you can rage about VAR all you want – and yeah, that overturned penalty is going to trend all night – but if you ship four goals, the problem isn’t just the ref. The back line didn’t cope with Haaland’s physicality, and the midfield never really put a leash on De Bruyne.
As for Arsenal, that’s a nightmare. A 2-0 lead in a derby and you let it slip? Championship-winning teams kill that game, not collapse under pressure. Mikel Arteta is absolutely going to get grilled for his in-game management – the subs felt reactive, not proactive, and the whole side looked mentally fragile once Spurs landed the first punch.
Tottenham, on the other hand, deserve total credit. They played like a team with nothing to lose, and their big names – Son, Maddison, Richarlison – all showed up. That’s the kind of result that can flip a season from "maybe top four" to "why not dream bigger?"
Don't blink – more drama incoming
So yeah, if you were checking football results today looking for calm, you picked the wrong day. The title race just swung, tempers are boiling over online, and the next round of fixtures is already loaded with storylines.
Check full stats & standings now
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