Haaland hat-trick chaos as City edge Spurs in seven-goal thriller – Live reaction

Man City survive a wild 4-3 against Spurs as Haaland explodes with a hat-trick while Son and Kulusevski nearly steal it late. Title race shaken up live.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-06, the pitch is on fire... You wanted drama from your soccer games tonight? You got absolute chaos in Manchester, late heartbreak in London, and a title race that just went into overdrive.

At the Etihad, Manchester City 4–3 Tottenham was pure madness. Erling Haaland, under fire for a couple of quiet weeks, answered every critic with a ruthless hat-trick, while Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski nearly scripted one of the great Premier League live comebacks of the season.

Man City 4–3 Spurs: Haaland’s rage, Spurs’ heartbreak

This one started at 100 mph and never slowed. City drew first blood when Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy reverse pass into the box on 14 minutes and Erling Haaland bullied his way between Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to smash home the opener from close range. 1–0, Etihad bouncing.

Spurs hit back the only way they know: fast and fearless. On 26 minutes, Son Heung-min peeled off the shoulder of Ruben Dias, latched onto a clipped ball from James Maddison, and bent a gorgeous right-foot finish past Ederson into the far corner. 1–1 and suddenly the away end was moving.

But Haaland wasn’t done. Just before the break, City worked a short corner, De Bruyne whipped in another devilish cross, and Haaland rose highest to bury a towering header into the top corner for 2–1. Classic No. 9 stuff, classic Haaland.

The second half turned into straight chaos. On 57 minutes, Phil Foden made it 3–1 after a slick one-two with Bernardo Silva, taking the ball in stride and poking low under Vicario. At that point, it looked like game over.

But Spurs absolutely refused to die. Ange-ball stayed brave, and on 69 minutes Dejan Kulusevski cut inside from the right and drilled a left-foot rocket from the edge of the area that clipped the inside of the post and went in for 3–2. Ederson had no chance, and suddenly City were wobbling.

VAR then took centre stage. In the 76th minute, Son broke in behind again and drew a tangle with Dias inside the box. The ref pointed straight to the spot, then VAR dragged him over to the monitor. After a long, brutal check, the penalty was overturned for the slightest offside in the build-up. City fans roared like they’d scored; Spurs fans online? Absolutely furious.

That anger only exploded more when, on 82 minutes, City killed it… or so we thought. Haaland completed his hat-trick, reacting first to a rebound after Foden’s shot was parried and slamming home from six yards to make it 4–2. Pure poacher, pure killer instinct.

Spurs still wouldn’t go away. In stoppage time, Kulusevski powered in a close-range header from a Pedro Porro cross to make it 4–3 and set up a grandstand finish, but City clung on. Final whistle, 4–3, and the champions survive a wild, wild night.

Stars under the spotlight

• Erling Haaland – Hero of the night. Three goals, constant menace. His movement off the shoulder of defenders was elite, and his finishing was as cold as it gets. This is exactly the version of Haaland City need in the title run-in.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, dictating tempo, splitting lines. Not every pass came off, but whenever City needed control, KDB was the conductor.
• Phil Foden – Sharp between the lines, a lovely finish for his goal, and endless work without the ball. He keeps proving he’s not just flair – he’s clutch.
• Son Heung-min – A constant outlet for Spurs. His goal was top-class, his runs terrified City’s back line, and on another night he walks away as the match-winner.
• Dejan Kulusevski – One screamer, one late header, and endless running. He dragged Spurs back into it almost by sheer force of will.

Elsewhere in the league: title race and top scorers today

While City and Spurs were trading haymakers, the rest of the football league table picture was shifting too. Arsenal ground out a tight 1–0 away win courtesy of a Bukayo Saka strike, while Liverpool were held to a frustrating 1–1 draw where Mohamed Salah scored from the spot but also missed a huge late chance.

The net effect? City’s win closes the gap at the top again and keeps the pressure stacked on both Arsenal and Liverpool. Haaland’s hat-trick also rockets him up the top scorers today chart, dragging him right back into the Golden Boot conversation after a mini-dip.

What does this mean for the title race? City stay locked in the chase, Spurs slip further away from the Champions League spots, and every dropped point from here is going to feel fatal. Want to see exactly how tight it is now? Click here for the live standings

Champions League news & bigger picture

With Champions League nights looming, tonight’s energy felt like a dress rehearsal. City look devastating going forward, but those defensive gaps against the counter could be a gift to Europe’s top sides. Imagine Kylian Mbappé or Vinícius Júnior running into that space – terrifying if you’re Pep Guardiola.

For Spurs, the fight and belief are absolutely there, but the balance isn’t. You can’t concede four and expect to survive at this level. If they do sneak into the Champions League spots, they’ll need serious work in the back line to avoid being shredded by the continent’s elite.

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Reporter’s hot take

In my opinion, this game said more about Spurs than City. We already know City can flip a switch and turn into a goal machine, especially when Haaland smells blood. But Spurs walking out of the Etihad furious rather than relieved tells you everything: they’re not just happy to be competitive anymore, they expect to win these soccer games.

Still, Ange has to tighten things up. The bravery is fun, the neutrals love it, but at some point you’ve got to stop leaking goals like a broken tap. You can’t be chasing four away to City every time and calling that progress.

As for City, this was a statement from Haaland. The body language, the celebration, the snarl – he looked like a man who’d heard all the talk about him going quiet and decided he’d had enough. If this is his reset button, the rest of the league is in serious trouble.

What’s next?

From here, every round is going to feel like a cup final. The title contenders can’t slip, the Champions League hopefuls are running out of lives, and the relegation fight is about to get savage.

If you’re trying to make sense of all of it – who’s climbing, who’s falling, who’s hanging on by goal difference – this is your cheat code:

Check full stats & standings now

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@ ad-hoc-news.de