Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City crush Newcastle – title race live

Man City smash Newcastle with a Haaland hat-trick while Liverpool scrape a nervy win – but one VAR call has everyone losing it. Did the title race just twist?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-24, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? You got absolute chaos. From the Premier League live drama at the Etihad to late nerves at Anfield, the top scorers today came out swinging and the title race just went into overdrive.

Man City 4–1 Newcastle: Haaland goes full monster mode

Let's start where the floodlights were blinding and the net barely survived. Manchester City blew Newcastle away 4–1, and yes, Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – a ruthless hat-trick that turned a tricky night into a personal goal party.

Newcastle actually punched first. On 19 minutes, Alexander Isak stunned the Etihad by sliding a cool finish past Ederson after a slick move down the left. City looked rattled for about five minutes... and then Haaland snapped.

On 32 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne found a pocket of space, clipped a trademark through ball, and Haaland bulldozed between two defenders to slam home the equaliser. 1–1, game on. Eleven minutes later, it was 2–1: Phil Foden twisted his marker inside-out on the right wing and whipped in a low cross that Haaland toe-poked in at the near post. Pure striker's instinct.

After the break, the controversy hit. On 58 minutes, Haaland went down under a tangle with Sven Botman in the box. Initially waved away, but then VAR called the ref over. After a long, heated check – fans screaming, players surrounding the ref – the penalty was given. Newcastle were furious, social media even more so. Haaland stepped up, rolled it bottom corner for 3–1 and his hat-trick, staring down the keeper like a villain in a movie.

City weren't done. On 76 minutes, Bernardo Silva capped off a gorgeous team move, side-footing home after De Bruyne and Foden combined with a slick one-two around the area. 4–1, statement win. Haaland? Absolutely world-class tonight – bullying defenders, linking play, and finishing everything. Foden buzzed between the lines, De Bruyne pulled strings like a puppet master. Newcastle star Bruno Guimarães barely got a foothold, and Isak’s early goal ended up feeling like a distant memory.

Liverpool 2–1 West Ham: Salah quiet, Núñez the chaos agent

Over at Anfield, Liverpool kept their title hopes alive with a tense 2–1 win over West Ham – but this one was way more grind than glamour. The football results today don't tell the full story of how edgy this got.

The Reds opened the scoring on 24 minutes when Darwin Núñez pounced on a loose ball after a corner, smashing a half-volley through a crowded box. Classic Darwin: chaos, deflection, net ripples, Kop explodes. West Ham, though, punched back with proper quality. On 41 minutes, Jarrod Bowen peeled off his marker and powered a header past Alisson from a whipped cross by James Ward-Prowse. 1–1 and Liverpool suddenly looked flat.

All eyes, as always, were on Mohamed Salah. And honestly? Tonight he was more decoy than destroyer. West Ham doubled up on him relentlessly, forcing him wide and often backward. He still had that one classic cut-inside curler on 63 minutes, tipped over brilliantly by Areola, but overall this was not peak Salah. No goals, no assists – just gravity pulling defenders out of position.

The winner came from a different hero. On 71 minutes, substitute Diogo Jota reacted fastest when a loose ball spilled inside the six-yard box after a Luis Díaz shot was blocked. Tap-in, 2–1, and Anfield could finally breathe again. West Ham nearly stole a point late on when Bowen struck the post in stoppage time, but the ball somehow bounced out instead of in. Tiny margins, massive impact on the football league table.

European shocker: Mbappé silences Dortmund in Champions League-style clash

Over in Europe, all the Champions League news vibes were around Paris Saint-Germain’s showdown with Borussia Dortmund. This wasn't a final, but it felt like one – and Kylian Mbappé put on a clinic as PSG won 2–0.

Mbappé opened the scoring from the spot on 28 minutes after a clumsy challenge on Ousmane Dembélé. Cool as you like, he slotted low to the keeper’s right. Then, early in the second half, he produced the real highlight: bursting from halfway, burning two defenders, then cutting inside and drilling one across the keeper for 2–0. Solo goal, pure devastation.

Jude Bellingham, usually the main headline in any soccer news cycle, had a frustrating night. He found pockets, tried to drag Dortmund forward, but PSG’s midfield smothered him. A couple of long-range efforts, a few classy touches, but no defining moment. Tonight belonged to Mbappé, no debate.

Title race picture: how tonight's drama shifts the table

So what does all this do to the Premier League live standings and the wider football league table picture? City’s thumping win tightens the pressure on Liverpool at the top. With Haaland exploding today and their goal difference flying upwards, every dropped point now feels lethal for Klopp’s side. Liverpool's narrow win keeps them ahead, but there's zero margin for error.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are slipping away from the European spots, and that defensive collapse is going to sting. West Ham stay drifting in mid-table, wondering how close they came to stealing something at Anfield.

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

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage and Haaland worship

If you jump online right now, you can feel the temperature. The hot topic? That VAR penalty for Haaland against Newcastle. Half the timeline says stonewall, the other half says robbery.

Editorial take: City look inevitable, but don't write off Liverpool

From my seat, this felt like a power shift night. City with Haaland fully locked in and De Bruyne purring look terrifying – like they can score four on demand. The way Haaland bullied Newcastle’s back line was pure nightmare fuel. If he keeps this form, the top scorers today conversation might just become a one-man show.

Liverpool, though, showed something different: survival instinct. They weren't at their dazzling best, Salah wasn't electric, but they still found a way. Jota’s winner felt like the kind of scrappy goal that defines seasons. If they stay grinding out wins like this while City keep swinging, we're staring at a photo-finish title race.

As for managers? I'm not saying panic at Newcastle, but the defensive shape tonight was a mess. If they want to stay in the European conversation, that high line against a monster like Haaland is tactical self-sabotage.

Final whistle: keep one eye on the pitch, one on the table

The football results today gave us everything – Haaland's hat-trick, a nervy Liverpool escape, Mbappé magic, and a VAR flashpoint blowing up timelines. The title race is tighter, the Champions League storylines are spicier, and you can feel that late-season tension creeping in already.

Don't just live off the vibes though – the numbers are wild too.

Check full stats & standings now

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