Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Arsenal in a 7-goal LIVE thriller
22.02.2026 - 10:31:49 | ad-hoc-news.de
This wasn't just another Super Sunday. This was chaos football: Erling Haaland smashing a hat-trick, Bukayo Saka dragging Arsenal back from the dead, VAR in the middle of the storm, and 90 minutes that felt like a season all on its own.
Seven-goal madness: Man City 4–3 Arsenal
The scoreboard barely had time to breathe. City flew out like a team on a mission. On 9 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy reverse pass through the lines, Haaland bullied William Saliba, took one touch, and rifled low past David Raya for 1–0. Erling Haaland on the sheet early – you just knew it was his night.
Arsenal responded, though. On 23 minutes, Martin Ødegaard threaded a needle between City's centre-backs, and Bukayo Saka ghosted in off the right, opened his body and curled a beauty past Ederson into the far corner for 1–1. Pure composure. Premier League live, and the stars were absolutely delivering.
Then came the first flashpoint. Just before half-time, Phil Foden drove into the box, clipped the ball past Gabriel, and went down under contact. The ref pointed straight to the spot. VAR had a long look – angles, slow-mos, the lot – but the decision stood. Up stepped Haaland, stuttered, waited for Raya to move, and rolled the penalty home on 45+2 minutes. Haaland again, 2–1 City, and the Emirates fanbase on social media absolutely melting down over that call.
Second half? Absolute chaos.
On 54 minutes, Arsenal punched back. A whipped Leandro Trossard corner caused havoc, the ball dropped in the six-yard box, and Gabriel Jesus reacted first, stabbing it in from close range against his former club. No celebration, hands up, but you could feel the tension crank up another level. 2–2 and everything back in play.
But City, like they always do, turned the screw. De Bruyne again was the conductor. On 63 minutes, he dinked a pass over the high line, Haaland peeled off Saliba's shoulder and lashed a left-foot half-volley into the roof of the net. Haaland hat-trick, 3–2 City.
Still, Arsenal just refused to die. Ødegaard and Declan Rice began to boss midfield, and on 74 minutes, a slick move down the right saw Ben White cut the ball back to the penalty spot. Rice arrived late, side-footed through traffic, and found the bottom corner for 3–3. The away end exploded. Title race back on, crowd stunned, and the game felt totally unhinged.
And then, the dagger.
86 minutes on the clock, tired legs everywhere. City switched play left to right, Foden drove inside and unleashed a shot that Raya could only parry. The rebound dropped loose, and who else but Bernardo Silva to react quickest, smashing it into the net for 4–3. The Etihad erupted. Arsenal players collapsed to their knees. Mikel Arteta just stared into the distance, knowing how big that moment might be come May.
Heroes, flops, and the big guns under the spotlight
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – Outrageous. Three goals, relentless movement, and he bullied Arsenal's back line all game. On a day when the world was watching, he absolutely owned the stage.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Didn't score, but he painted the game. Two assists, constant line-breaking passes, and every City surge seemed to start with him. If this is him at "not fully fit," the league is in trouble.
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – Gave Nathan Aké nightmares on that right flank. Took his goal beautifully and never stopped driving at defenders. If Arsenal had salvaged a point, he'd have been the headline.
- Declan Rice – Massive midfield presence and a clutch goal, but he and Jorginho still struggled to completely shut down City's rotations. Against this City side, perfection is almost impossible.
- Defences on both sides – Let's be real: nobody in either back line is putting this performance on their CV. Saliba and Gabriel were overrun by Haaland's movement, while City allowed far too many high-quality entries around their box. Attackers won the day, big time.
Title race shaken: what this result actually means
With this 4–3 win, Manchester City jump back to the top of the football league table, edging ahead of Arsenal by a tiny margin. The gap is slim, but psychologically, it's huge: City have once again proved they can win the biggest pressure games, even when it turns into a shootout.
Arsenal aren't out of it – not even close. Saka, Ødegaard, and Rice showed they can trade punches with the champions, and on another day they probably walk away with at least a point. But dropping three points this late in the season, against their direct rival, hurts.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in Europe: Bellingham & Mbappé keep the spotlight
Over in La Liga, Jude Bellingham once again delivered for Real Madrid, scoring the only goal in a tight 1–0 win, arriving late in the box – trademark Bellingham – to head in a cross from Vinícius Júnior. In France, Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace for PSG, including a ruthless counter-attack finish and a cool penalty, reminding everyone why he's still one of the deadliest forwards on the planet.
Between Champions League news and domestic grind, the top scorers today list is basically a who's who of world football: Haaland, Mbappé, Bellingham – all on the sheet, all dictating the headlines.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the late penalty shout and VAR chaos
My take: This felt like a title knockout punch
In my opinion, this was a statement win from City and a bit of a reality check for Arsenal. You can talk tactics all day, but when the lights are brightest, it comes down to killers in both boxes – and City just have more of them.
Haaland was absolutely world-class today. Big-game pressure, massive stakes, and he still walks away with a hat-trick and the match ball. That's what separates "great striker" from "era-defining monster."
For Arsenal, Arteta got a lot right going forward – his front line created enough to win. But late-game management will be questioned hard. Leaving so much space for Foden and De Bruyne to operate in the last 10 minutes against City at the Etihad? That's begging for punishment, and they got it.
If City ride this momentum like they usually do, tonight might be the night we look back on and say, "Yeah, that's where the title race really swung."
What's next?
The Champions League news cycle is about to go nuclear as knockout ties return, and both City and Arsenal will have to flip the switch between Europe and domestic brutality. With the football results today pumping up the drama, every match from here looks like a cup final – for the title, for top four, and for survival at the bottom.
Don't sleep on the numbers: the football league table is shifting with every single kick right now. If you care about who's chasing Europe, who's dropping into the relegation fight, and who's actually in control of this wild title race, you need to keep one eye on the live standings at all times.
Check full stats & standings now
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