Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Arsenal in Premier League live thriller
11.02.2026 - 11:00:06 | ad-hoc-news.de
The headline? Manchester City 4–3 Arsenal. Goals, chaos, controversy – and a huge twist in the title race.
Man City 4–3 Arsenal: Haaland the monster, VAR the villain
This one had it all. Manchester City flew out like a team possessed. On 9 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy reverse pass into Erling Haaland, who bullied William Saliba, shrugged him off, and drilled low past David Raya for 1–0. Classic Haaland: one touch, one finish, Arsenal stunned.
City doubled it on 23 minutes. Phil Foden cut inside from the left, combined with Bernardo Silva, and when the ball broke loose at the edge of the box, Haaland pounced again. First-time side-foot into the corner. Erling Haaland 2, Arsenal 0. The big Norwegian was absolutely locked in.
Arsenal finally woke up. Martin Ødegaard started to get on the ball, and in the 39th minute he threaded an outrageous through-pass for Bukayo Saka. One touch out of his feet, right-foot curler into the far corner past Ederson. City 2–1 Arsenal, game on, away end bouncing.
After the break, it got wild. On 54 minutes, Jeremy Doku roasted Ben White, stood a cross up to the back post, and there was Haaland again, bullying everyone, thundering a header in from close range. Hat-trick completed: Erling Haaland with goals on 9, 23 and 54 minutes. Pure No.9 carnage.
But Arsenal refused to fold. On 63 minutes, Declan Rice rose highest on a corner, his header saved on the line by Ederson, only for Gabriel Jesus to react fastest and stab in the rebound. City 3–2 Arsenal. You could feel the tension building with every touch.
The equaliser was pure chaos. In the 78th minute, Saka drove inside again, slipped the ball to Leandro Trossard, whose shot was blocked, but the rebound popped up to Martinelli at the edge of the box. Gabriel Martinelli didn't think twice – volley, slight deflection off Rúben Dias, net explodes. 3–3, Arsenal players sprinting to the corner flag, Mikel Arteta losing his mind on the touchline.
Then came the moment everyone online is screaming about. 89th minute, City breaking. De Bruyne feeds Foden, who squares it to substitute Julián Álvarez. The Argentinian finishes low into the corner, the stadium erupts... and up goes the VAR check. Offside on the build-up? They drew the lines on Foden, it took an age, and in the end the goal was ruled out. Boos raining down, players fuming, social media going nuclear.
But City weren't done. Deep into stoppage time, 90+4, De Bruyne whipped in a vicious in-swinging free-kick. Arsenal switched off for half a second and Rúben Dias powered a header into the net. City 4–3 Arsenal, last-gasp bedlam. Haaland the hat-trick hero, Dias the clutch closer, and Arsenal left on the turf in disbelief.
Stars under the spotlight
- Erling Haaland – Absolutely monstrous. Three goals, constant menace, bullied Arsenal's back line all night. Big-game striker doing big-game things.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists and the deadly delivery for the winner. When the match got frantic, he was the one slowing the chaos and choosing violence with his passing.
- Phil Foden – Electric in spells, drifting inside, committing defenders. Should he have timed his run better on that disallowed goal? Probably. Still, he tortured Arsenal whenever he had space.
- Bukayo Saka – Arsenal's best outfield player. One superb goal, constant drive, linked beautifully with Ødegaard. Never stopped trying to drag his team forward.
- Declan Rice – A warrior in midfield, winning duels and starting attacks, but will be fuming that his side conceded twice from set pieces.
Champions League contenders? Both of them, absolutely. But tonight, City showed again that when it comes to the very biggest domestic soccer games, they live for the pressure more than almost anyone.
What this does to the Premier League table
This 4–3 win is huge for the football league table. Manchester City move clear at the top, while Arsenal's hopes take a serious punch to the gut. The gap in points tightens the chase behind them, and suddenly every single matchday feels like a mini-final.
Form-wise, City look like they're just starting one of those scary runs where they barely drop a point for months. Arsenal, on the other hand, have now lost a high-stakes game where their defending on crosses and set pieces totally let them down.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight: Haaland, VAR and pure chaos
The online reaction is absolutely insane. The timeline is split between worshipping Erling Haaland and roasting the VAR team for that disallowed Álvarez goal.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and fascinated by the late VAR offside drama
Reporter's Take: this felt like a title decider in February
Let's be real: performances like this are why managers lose sleep over Manchester City. In my opinion, this wasn't just another league match – it was a psychological punch landed straight on Arsenal's jaw.
City were not perfect. They let Arsenal back into the game, lost control for a big chunk of the second half, and relied on set pieces in the clutch. But when the pressure peaked, their big names – Haaland, De Bruyne, Dias – stepped up. That's what separates serial winners from hopeful challengers.
Arsenal, though, will be kicking themselves. You can't score three away at the Etihad and still lose if you want to be champions. Arteta has built a brave, technical side, but in these razor-edge soccer games, details like set-piece defending, tracking runners, and late-game focus decide everything. Tonight, those small margins went City's way.
Tactically, Guardiola's call to keep De Bruyne slightly deeper second half was huge. It gave City more control and let Foden and Doku attack from narrower starting points, pinning Arsenal's full-backs. On the other side, Arteta's subs – especially bringing on Trossard and Martinelli together – nearly turned the whole thing around.
What's next?
From here, every weekend feels like a mini Champions League night. City now have momentum, confidence and a Haaland who looks fully locked in for a golden boot charge. Arsenal have to respond instantly, both in the Premier League and in Europe, or this could be the night everyone looks back on as the turning point.
Either way, if tonight is the standard, the rest of this season's Premier League live action is going to be absolutely unmissable.
Check full stats & standings now
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