Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City smash Chelsea – Premier League live

Man City tear Chelsea apart in a wild 4-2, Haaland hits a hat-trick and the title race twists again – but was THAT penalty the real turning point?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-04, the pitch is on fire... You wanted football results today? You got pure chaos. The headline act in the Premier League live action was at the Etihad, where Manchester City ripped Chelsea 4-2 in a thriller that had everything: a ruthless Erling Haaland hat-trick, a dodgy VAR call, defensive meltdowns, and a title race that just went into overdrive.

Man City 4-2 Chelsea – Haaland goes full monster mode

This one was breathless from the first whistle. City came out like a storm and needed just 11 minutes to break through. A slick move down the right saw Bernardo Silva clip a teasing cross into the box, and who else but Erling Haaland? He bullied his marker and powered a header into the top corner. 1-0, and the tone was set.

Chelsea did punch back, though. In the 24th minute, Cole Palmer silenced his old home with a filthy left-foot curler from the edge of the box after a one-two with Nicolas Jackson. Ederson had no chance. 1-1 and suddenly the away end was bouncing.

But City smelled blood all night. Just before half-time, Kevin De Bruyne slid a ridiculous through ball between two defenders, Haaland latched on, shrugged off Thiago Silva and poked it under the keeper for 2-1 on 42 minutes. Classic Haaland: minimal touches, maximum damage.

The second half turned into pure chaos. On 59 minutes came the big talking point: a long ball into the box, Haaland tangled with Axel Disasi, went down, and the ref pointed to the spot. VAR check dragged on, angles looked soft at best, but the decision stood. Haaland stepped up and smashed the penalty down the middle for his hat-trick. 3-1 City and Stamford Bridge Twitter went nuclear.

Chelsea refused to die, though. On 71 minutes, a recycled corner dropped to Enzo Fernández 25 yards out and he absolutely leathered it into the top corner. 3-2, game on, and the away bench went wild.

Pep Guardiola's side killed it off late. In the 86th minute, Phil Foden darted in from the left, exchanged passes with De Bruyne and drilled a low strike inside the far post for 4-2. Cue limbs in the South Stand and a real statement win in the title race.

Star verdicts:
- Erling Haaland – Absolute destroyer. Three goals (11', 42', 60' pen), bullied Chelsea's back line all night. When he plays like this, the Golden Boot race feels over.
- Kevin De Bruyne – The brain of everything. Two assists, constant line-breaking passes, and Chelsea never really worked him out.
- Cole Palmer – Chelsea's best. His goal was pure class and he kept demanding the ball even when they were under the cosh.
- Raheem Sterling – Anonymous on his return to the Etihad. Subbed early, barely threatened.

Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle – Salah back on the scoresheet, title charge stays alive

Over at Anfield, Liverpool did exactly what they had to do: beat Newcastle, keep a clean sheet, and keep the pressure on City. Final score: 2-0, and yes, Mohamed Salah was back doing Mohamed Salah things.

The opener came on 33 minutes. Darwin Núñez muscled his way down the left and cut the ball back to Salah, who took one touch and rolled it into the far corner like he was playing in slow motion. Vintage finish, zero panic.

Liverpool dominated the ball but had to wait to seal it. On 77 minutes, Trent Alexander-Arnold floated a wicked free-kick to the back post, where Virgil van Dijk rose above everyone and thundered a header home. 2-0, game done, The Kop singing about the title again.

Star verdicts:
- Mohamed Salah – Goal, constant threat, dragged defenders everywhere. Didn't even look like he left for a break.
- Darwin Núñez – No goal, but huge impact. Work rate, chaos, clever assist for the opener.
- Alexander Isak – Barely a sniff for Newcastle. Isolated, starved of service, not his night.

How the table looks after tonight's madness

So what do these football results today actually mean? City stay neck-and-neck at the top, with Liverpool hanging on and Chelsea sliding further away from the Champions League spots. That Haaland hat-trick not only keeps City in control of their destiny, it also blows the Golden Boot race wide open – everyone else is just chasing his shadow.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are stuck in that horrible no-man's land: too inconsistent for the top four, too talented to be this far down. The pressure on the manager is only getting louder after conceding four again to a big-six rival.

What does this mean for the title race? City look ruthless, Liverpool look relentless, and every dropped point from here is going to feel like a disaster. If you want the full context – points, goal difference, and who's lurking just behind them – you need the live table.

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

Champions League picture & top scorers today

From a Champions League news angle, tonight hurts Chelsea big time. With Newcastle losing at Anfield and Spurs also in the mix, every head-to-head clash is basically a six-pointer now. City and Liverpool look like locks for the top two, so that leaves a brutal scrap for the final places.

As for top scorers today, Haaland obviously owned the headlines with his three-goal demolition job. Salah added another to his season tally and continues to be Liverpool's edge in tight games. If you're tracking the Golden Boot, tonight looked like a turning point – Haaland hit that scary mode where every half-chance feels like a goal.

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My take: City look inevitable, Chelsea look lost

Honestly, watching this as a neutral felt like two different clubs operating on two different planets. City are a machine – every movement coached, every run timed, every big player showing up in big moments. When Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden click like this, you almost feel sorry for the defenders.

Chelsea, on the other hand, feel like a collection of talented individuals hoping something works. Palmer is carrying way too much of the creative burden, and when he isn't magic, they look short of ideas. Conceding four again in a big statement game? In my opinion, that puts serious heat on the manager. You can talk about "project" and "patience" all you want, but the table doesn't care – and neither do rival fans.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are just quietly doing their thing: controlled, ruthless, and built around Salah still being an absolute joke of a finisher. They don't look as flashy as City, but they look just as dangerous over 90 minutes.

Don't blink – the run-in is going to be wild

If tonight is a preview of the final stretch, we're in for a ridiculous finish. City smashing four past Chelsea, Liverpool suffocating Newcastle, and the top four race tightening every single week – it's exactly why you never miss a Premier League weekend.

For full context on every twist – goal difference, games in hand, who's creeping up on those Champions League spots – hit the live standings and keep one eye glued there while the fixtures keep coming.

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