Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Liverpool in six-goal live thriller
02.02.2026 - 15:43:43
The headline act in today's football results is simple: Manchester City 4–2 Liverpool. Two of the biggest hitters in world football went toe-to-toe, and it turned into a goalfest that might define the season.
Man City 4–2 Liverpool – Haaland goes full monster mode
This one started at 100 miles an hour. On 9 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne split Liverpool open with a trademark through ball, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does – one touch to steady, second touch laced low past Alisson. City 1–0 up, the Etihad bouncing.
Liverpool hit back immediately. In the 17th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a diagonal to Luis Díaz, who skinned his man and cut back for Mohamed Salah. First-time, side-foot, top corner. Clinical. City 1–1 Liverpool and the away end absolutely erupted.
But Haaland wasn't done. On 33 minutes, chaos from a corner: Phil Foden swung it in, Rúben Dias won the first header, and Haaland reacted fastest, bullying his marker and nodding in from six yards. His second of the night, City 2–1 up, and Liverpool's back line looked like it had no idea how to deal with his movement.
The second half is where this turned from big game into full-blown classic. On 56 minutes, Darwin Núñez got Liverpool level. Salah slid him through, Núñez took a heavy-ish touch but recovered and poked it under Ederson. City 2–2 Liverpool, and suddenly we were staring at a title-race earthquake.
The VAR moment everyone is losing it over
Then came the moment that's broken social media. On 68 minutes, Liverpool thought they'd turned the game on its head. Alexander-Arnold whipped in another wicked cross, Núñez bundled it home, and Klopp went full sprint down the touchline. But hold up – VAR check: possible offside.
Lines everywhere. Replays from a million angles. After a long delay, the referee ruled Núñez offside by what looked like the tightest of margins – we're talking bootlaces territory. Goal disallowed, still 2–2, Liverpool players furious, Klopp laughing in disbelief on the sideline. That decision is the hot topic right now – fans arguing if the camera angle, the line placement, all of it, was even accurate.
Haaland completes the hat-trick, Foden seals it
City took full advantage of the chaos. On 74 minutes, De Bruyne again dragged the game by the scruff. He drove into space, rolled it across the box, and Haaland smashed in first-time for his hat-trick. Ice-cold finish, 3–2 City, and Haaland wheeling away in front of the home fans like a man who owns the league.
Liverpool pushed on, Salah trying to make something out of every touch. He had a curling effort tipped over by Ederson and later slipped Díaz in for a chance that was blocked brilliantly by Dias. Salah's goal and assist mean his numbers are still elite, but tonight he was overshadowed by that Nordic cyborg up top for City.
As Liverpool overcommitted, City killed it in classic Pep-era style. On 89 minutes, substitute Julián Álvarez pressed high, nicked the ball, and fed Foden. The England star chopped inside and drilled low across Alisson into the far corner. City 4–2 Liverpool, game done, title statement made.
Stars of the show – Heroes & flops
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – Three goals, pure chaos for Liverpool's centre-backs all night. Movement, power, composure. This is the Haaland that breaks Golden Boot races before March.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Two assists, dictating tempo, dropping into spaces Liverpool just didn't close. Not always sprinting, but always deadly.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – One goal, one assist, and honestly could not have done much more. Carried Liverpool's threat. Every time he got on the ball, City backed off in fear.
- Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – Took his equaliser well, but that offside call is going to haunt him. His movement is brilliant, his timing not always.
- Defensive units – Both back lines had a rough night. City's full-backs were dragged around by Liverpool's wingers, while Liverpool's centre-backs lost Haaland too often on crosses and second balls.
What this does to the Premier League table
This result is massive. With City beating a direct rival, they not only grab three points but slam down a psychological marker in the title race. Liverpool, who could have gone above City with a win, now find themselves chasing again, and that momentum swing is huge.
City's win nudges them back towards the summit, tightening the gap at the top and cranking up the pressure on the rest of the contenders playing later today and tomorrow. Liverpool stay in the mix, but they've wasted a huge chance to take control of the league.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Elsewhere in today's football results
Across Europe, the football results today threw up more storylines. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham kept his star shining bright as Real Madrid edged a tight one, with Bellingham once again involved in the decisive move – his clever one-two freeing a teammate to square for the winner. He didn't get on the scoresheet this time, but his fingerprints were all over Madrid's best moves.
Over in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé bagged yet another goal in a comfortable Paris Saint-Germain win, drifting in from the left and bending one into the far corner. It wasn't a thriller like City–Liverpool, but Mbappé's consistency in front of goal is exactly why he stays locked in every top scorers today conversation.
Social Media Spotlight – the Internet is melting down
Right now, social media is absolutely on fire about that disallowed Núñez goal and Haaland's ruthless hat-trick. The match hashtag #MCILIV is trending worldwide, and fans are posting freeze-frames of VAR lines like they're solving a crime scene.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the razor-thin VAR offside on Núñez
Reporter's Take – bold opinion time
I'm just going to say it: this felt like a statement that City are still the team to beat, and that Haaland is built differently for these nights. When the game went chaotic, when emotions spiked after the VAR drama, City's stars stayed cold. Haaland buried his chances, De Bruyne kept choosing the right pass, and Foden showed once again why he's one of the most technically gifted players in the world.
From Liverpool's side, the fight was there, the quality from Salah was there, but the defensive structure just isn't sharp enough in these mega-games. Leaving Haaland that kind of space in the box is basically asking for pain. If Liverpool are serious about winning this league, the back line and midfield shielding have to level up fast.
In my opinion, this is the kind of match that can either break you mentally or turn you into monsters for the run-in. How Klopp spins this in the dressing room and training ground over the next week is going to define Liverpool's season.
What next?
The title race is alive, wild, and beautifully messy. City send a message, Liverpool are stung, and over in Spain, Germany, France, and Italy, the big guns are all watching and thinking about how they measure up heading into the next wave of Champions League news and knockout drama.
If you're trying to make sense of who's really on top after all of today's football league table swings, you need to see the full picture.
Check full stats & standings now
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