Haaland hat-trick chaos as City edge Spurs 4-3 in Premier League live thriller

Seven-goal madness in London: Haaland hits a hat-trick, Son strikes twice, and a late VAR twist flips the title race on its head. Who really deserved the win?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-28, the pitch is on fire... If you missed tonight's soccer games, especially that insane Premier League live showdown between Tottenham and Manchester City, you're going to want to catch up fast. We just watched a 4-3 City win that felt like a Champions League knockout tie dropped into a league night – goals flying in, VAR alarms blaring, and the title race flipping every five minutes.

From the first whistle it was pure chaos. Spurs came out fearless, pressing high, looking like they’d learned from every painful meeting with City in the past. But then Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – and then did it again. And again.

Seven-goal classic: Spurs 3–4 Man City

This was the kind of match that reminds you why you’re addicted to soccer games in the first place.

Tottenham drew first blood: in the 9th minute, Heung-Min Son slipped in off the left, played a slick one-two on the edge of the box and buried a low right-footed shot past the keeper for 1-0. City looked stunned for about five minutes – and then Haaland turned into a cheat code.

On 17 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne split the Spurs back line with one of those trademark outside-of-the-boot passes. Haaland bullied the centre-back, took one touch, then smashed in with his left for 1-1. Classic Haaland: minimal backlift, maximum violence.

By the 32nd minute it was 2-1 City. This time Phil Foden drifted inside, popped a lofted ball into the six-yard box, and Haaland climbed over everyone for a towering header. The keeper got a glove to it, but the power was ridiculous. Two shots, two goals – and Spurs suddenly looked like they were hanging on for half-time.

But Son wasn’t done. Right before the break, in the 44th minute, he pounced on a loose ball after a corner wasn't cleared, cutting inside and curling a gorgeous finish into the far corner for 2-2. The place exploded. At that moment, he was absolutely carrying Spurs, looking like the Son of his prime years – electric, ruthless, everywhere.

Second half drama: heroes, flops, and VAR rage

The second half was pure Premier League chaos. City stepped higher, dominating the ball, moving Spurs around ruthlessly. De Bruyne looked like a puppet master, while Foden kept drifting into pockets and dragging defenders out of position.

On 61 minutes City finally made the pressure count. De Bruyne again was the architect, sliding a wicked through ball into the box. Haaland, on a hat-trick, rounded the keeper and finished from a tight angle for 3-2. Hat-trick completed. You could almost feel the Golden Boot race shifting in real time with every finish – if you're looking for top scorers today, Haaland just stamped his name in all caps on every stat graphic.

But the crazy part? City still couldn’t close it out cleanly. Spurs clawed back yet again. In the 72nd minute, James Maddison delivered a teasing free-kick that found Cristian Romero, who powered a header into the net for 3-3. City’s defence switched off, and Pep's face on the touchline said everything – pure disbelief.

And then came the moment everyone is arguing about online right now: the 88th-minute VAR penalty.

Haaland chased a loose ball into the box, nudged it past the defender, and went down after clear contact from behind. The referee waved play on, Spurs fans roared as they broke upfield, but VAR pinged him to the screen. After an agonising wait, the penalty was given. Spurs players lost it, the crowd whistled like mad – and all eyes were on Haaland again.

He stepped up, stared down the keeper, and smashed the penalty straight down the middle for 4-3. Four shots on target, four goals. Absolute killer. Spurs had nothing left in stoppage time, and City escaped with three priceless points – and a lot of enemies on social media.

Stars check: who showed up, who vanished?

Erling Haaland: Unstoppable. Four goals, relentless movement, shrugging off defenders like they were cones. This was peak Haaland – the kind of night that wins you the Golden Boot and maybe the title. If there was any doubt about who the most terrifying number 9 in the world is, it's gone.

Kevin De Bruyne: Back to his best. Two assists, constant line-breaking passes, dictating tempo like it was a training drill. When City needed control in the chaos, De Bruyne gave it to them.

Phil Foden: Not a headline-grabber on the score sheet, but involved in everything. His assist, his drifting movement, and his pressing were huge in tilting the game City's way.

Heung-Min Son: Two big goals, non-stop running, leading by example. He dragged Spurs into this fight again and again. If anyone didn’t deserve to lose tonight, it was Son.

James Maddison: Flashes of brilliance – that free-kick assist for Romero’s goal was top-class – but he faded a bit when City cranked up the pace. Still, he gave Spurs some creativity when they desperately needed it.

Title race shockwaves & live table

This result is huge. With City grabbing all three points in this wild 4-3, they keep the pressure cranked on the rest of the league. Spurs, meanwhile, slip further away from the top spots and risk getting sucked into a brutal fight for the Champions League places.

City’s win tightens everything at the top – goal difference, momentum, confidence, all of it. Haaland’s explosion also shakes up the top scorers race today, putting him right at the center of every Golden Boot conversation.

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

Social Media Spotlight: anger, memes & highlight hunts

As soon as that late penalty was given, the internet absolutely erupted. The main storyline? That VAR decision in the 88th minute. Spurs fans are calling it soft, City fans are calling it obvious, and neutrals are just spamming replay clips from every angle.

My take: this was Haaland's "statement" game

Honestly, this felt like one of those season-defining nights. In my opinion, this was Haaland’s big "everyone shut up and watch" performance after people had started whispering about dips in form and missed chances in other big games.

Four goals, dragged City through a hostile away ground, soaked up the pressure of a huge late penalty in front of raging home fans – that’s superstar stuff. You can question the defending, you can scream about VAR, but you can’t deny what he did out there.

On the flip side, I think Spurs’ defending was nowhere near good enough. You can’t let Haaland run channels unchecked and expect to survive. For me, the manager has some serious questions to answer about the game plan in the second half – it felt like they tried to trade punches with the best attacking machine in the league and got knocked clean out.

What's next?

The fallout from this one is going to roll into the next matchday for sure. City walk away with belief, numbers, and momentum. Spurs walk away with frustration, bruises, and a mountain to climb if they still want those top-four dreams.

If you’re trying to make sense of how this wild night fits into the bigger picture – the title race, the European spots, the relegation scrap – the league table is your best friend right now.

Check full stats & standings now

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