Haaland Hat-Trick Chaos as Man City Smash Spurs – Premier League Live Shock
23.02.2026 - 23:32:39 | ad-hoc-news.de
Man City humiliate Spurs – Haaland goes full monster mode
Let's start with the game everyone's screaming about. At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Manchester City blew Spurs apart in a stunning away win. Final score? A brutal statement: Spurs 1–4 Man City.
Erling Haaland was absolutely unplayable. The Norwegian cyborg bagged a hat-trick, with goals on 18', 54' and 82'. The opener came from classic City: Kevin De Bruyne slid a filthy through ball between the lines, Haaland shrugged off his marker and drilled low past the keeper with his left. On 54', he rose highest to nod in a whipped Phil Foden cross. The hat-trick strike? Vintage predator stuff – pouncing on a loose ball in the box after a blocked shot and smashing it high into the net.
Spurs did pull one back when Son Heung-min finished coolly on 61' after a slick counter, but it never really felt like a comeback was on. City added their fourth through Phil Foden on 76', who curled a gorgeous effort from the edge of the area after De Bruyne laid it off with a cute reverse pass.
Haaland was the headline act – three goals, constant menace, bullying the centre-backs for 90 minutes. De Bruyne, fresh from his latest fitness rebuild, looked like a puppet master again with two assists and about a million dangerous passes. On the other hand, Spurs' big names had a nightmare. James Maddison couldn't get on the ball in dangerous zones, and Richarlison barely had a touch that mattered. Defensively, it was a horror show – the back line just couldn't cope with Haaland's movement.
The hottest topic? A huge VAR call in the first half. At 1–0, Spurs thought they had a lifeline when Son went down in the box under pressure from Ruben Dias. The stadium exploded when the referee initially pointed to the spot – but VAR called him over, the monitor check showed minimal contact, and the penalty was overturned. From there, City never looked back and Spurs fans never stopped fuming.
Arsenal grind it out – title race survival mode
Over at the Emirates, Arsenal knew they couldn't afford to slip if they wanted to stay anywhere near City. They did just enough, edging a tight 2–1 win in front of a nervous home crowd.
The Gunners went ahead when Bukayo Saka struck on 23'. Martin Ødegaard picked him out with a crisp diagonal ball, Saka chopped inside onto his left and bent a trademark finish into the far corner. Pure class, pure Saka.
The visitors equalised shortly after the break through a messy scramble finished off by their striker inside the six-yard box, punishing Arsenal from a set-piece. That wobble could have broken them – but this time they showed heart. On 71', substitute Gabriel Jesus produced the winner, darting across the near post to flick in a low cross from Saka.
Star power check: Saka was the difference-maker, driving every counter and taking constant kicks. Jesus was wasteful early on but came up clutch when it mattered. Defensively, though, Arsenal didn't look like champions – a few nervy moments at the back, especially under high balls, will have fans sweating about tougher fixtures coming up.
Liverpool stay alive thanks to Salah magic
At Anfield, Liverpool absolutely had to respond after City's big win. They did, but it wasn't exactly calm. They edged a 3–2 thriller with Mohamed Salah once again dragging them over the line.
Liverpool started fast. On 11', Salah opened the scoring with a sharp left-footed strike inside the box after a one-two with Darwin Núñez. The visitors hit back on 33' from a slick counter, but Darwin restored the lead on 52' with a thumping header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.
The drama peaked late: after a defensive lapse allowed the away side to level on 78', Anfield looked stunned. Then came the moment. On 88', a loose clearance dropped to Salah on the right edge of the box – he chopped inside onto that golden left foot and whipped an absolute screamer into the top corner. 3–2, stadium shaking, Salah sprinting to the corner flag like a man possessed.
Salah leaves today as the hero, two goals and a constant threat. Núñez mixed chaos with quality but chipped in with a goal and an assist. At the back, though, Liverpool still looked fragile. One-on-one defending and set-piece marking remain huge red flags if they're serious about chasing City.
What does this mean for the title race?
The big picture? Manchester City stay in ruthless, almost terrifying form. Haaland's hat-trick keeps them firmly in control, putting heavy pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool to be flawless from here. Arsenal's narrow win keeps them within touching distance, while Liverpool's late Salah show means they're still in the conversation – but both are clearly chasing a City machine that looks as cold and efficient as ever.
The top four battle is just as wild. Every dropped point now feels fatal, and goal difference could easily become the hidden decider, which makes City's four-goal haul today even more important.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – Haaland, VAR and Spurs in meltdown
As you'd expect, the internet absolutely lost it over Spurs vs Man City. Haaland's hat-trick, the overturned penalty, and another painful night for Spurs – it's all dominating timelines.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over the overturned VAR penalty and Haaland's hat-trick flex
My take: This felt like a power shift… again
From a pure vibe check, this round screams one thing: Manchester City still own this league until someone rips it away from them. In my view, Spurs were tactically naïve trying to go toe-to-toe with City instead of tightening up once it was clear Haaland was in full destroyer mode. You can't leave that much space in behind and expect to survive.
For Arsenal, this was gutsy but not convincing. If you're serious about the title, you can't keep leaving yourself open to silly set-piece goals. The quality is there, but the control is missing. And Liverpool? As long as Salah is fit, they've got a puncher's chance against anyone – but relying on late magic every week isn't a sustainable title strategy.
Today's football results show one thing clearly: when City smell blood, they don't just win – they crush. Haaland was the headline, but the whole machine looked locked in, and that should terrify everyone else chasing the trophy.
Closing whistle: The race is on, and it's brutal
So, your football results today delivered hat-tricks, VAR chaos, late winners and big title signals. City flexed, Arsenal survived, Liverpool refused to die. From here on, every matchday is basically a cup final for the chasing pack.
If you want to really feel the pressure, check how tight the top of the league is right now and how much that City goal difference swing matters.
Check full stats & standings now
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