Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City stun Chelsea 4-2 – Premier League live

Six-goal thriller, Haaland hat-trick, Palmer ice-cold from the spot – but one late twist flipped everything. Did City just reignite the title race?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-06, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that 4-2 between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad? These are the soccer games you clear your entire evening for. Goals flying in, nerves shredded, and Erling Haaland reminding everyone he's still a cheat code in boots.

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

From the first whistle, you could feel this wasn't going to be a quiet night. City went straight for the throat, and by the 12th minute it was already 1-0: Erling Haaland bullying his marker, cushioning a Kevin De Bruyne cross on his chest and smashing a right-foot rocket past the keeper. Vintage Haaland, pure power.

Chelsea didn't fold though. On 27 minutes they silenced the home end when Cole Palmer did what Cole Palmer does – drifting into the right half-space, combining with Enzo Fernández, and curling a left-footed beauty into the far corner. 1-1 and suddenly we had a brawl on our hands.

City hit back just before half-time. In the 42nd minute, Phil Foden broke the lines with a sharp one-two with Bernardo Silva, drove inside, and slipped a cute reverse pass into Haaland. One touch, then a low finish across the keeper. 2-1, Haaland brace, and Chelsea's back line looked absolutely rattled.

Second-half madness: penalties, woodwork and one huge call

Right after the break came the chaos. In the 53rd minute, a clumsy challenge in the box on Nicolas Jackson went to VAR. After a long, tense review, the ref pointed to the spot. The whole stadium booed, but Cole Palmer didn't care – he stepped up and buried the penalty, sending Ederson the wrong way. 2-2, Palmer with a brace against his old club and the away end losing its mind.

Then came the moment everyone's arguing about. On 68 minutes, Haaland rolled Thiago Silva and surged into the area. There was clear contact, Haaland went down, and the ref initially waved play on. City players surrounded him, VAR stepped in, and after another long check – boom, penalty given. Chelsea fans and neutrals are still raging over that one.

Haaland, of course, grabbed the ball. No stutter, no doubt. He smashed it high into the top corner for his hat-trick. 3-2 to City, the Etihad bouncing, and Chelsea's bench absolutely fuming at the decision.

As Chelsea pushed forward late on, the space behind killed them. In the 89th minute, City broke at speed – De Bruyne released Foden down the left, Foden cut it back to the edge of the box, and Bernardo Silva arrived to pass it coolly into the bottom corner. 4-2, game over, statement win.

Heroes, flops and the big names under the spotlight

• Erling Haaland – 3 goals, absolute machine. His movement destroyed Chelsea all night. Hero of the night, no debate.
• Cole Palmer – 2 goals, both huge. He was Chelsea's best player by miles, looking like the only one truly convinced they could steal something.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Maybe not on the scoresheet, but two vital contributions: that first cross to Haaland and the late release for Foden. Quietly devastating.
• Phil Foden – One assist, constant menace cutting inside. Chelsea never really worked him out.
• Chelsea's back line – Honestly? Rough night. Physically outmatched by Haaland, constantly a step late to second balls, and heads seemed to drop after the penalty drama.

Big picture: Haaland was a superstar, Palmer was defiant, and defensively Chelsea were just not at Premier League title-chasing level.

What this does to the Premier League title race

This win feels massive. City not only bag three points, they crank the pressure on everyone around them. The gap at the top narrows, goal difference gets a healthy boost, and the psychological edge swings right back towards Pep's side.

What does this mean for the title race? City climb, Chelsea stumble, and the rest of the top four suddenly have zero margin for error. Want the full picture, updated in real time? Click here for the live standings

Social Media Spotlight: VAR rage and Haaland worship

The internet is going wild over two things: that VAR penalty for Haaland, and how unstoppable he looked all night. Chelsea fans are convinced they were robbed, City fans are sharing Haaland hat-trick comps like it's a Marvel trailer.

My take: City are built for this chaos

In my opinion, this is exactly the kind of night that makes you believe City are still the team to beat. When the game gets messy, when emotions run hot, they still have cold-blooded killers like Haaland, De Bruyne and Bernardo who just handle business.

Chelsea showed flashes – Palmer was sensational, the second-half press caused real problems – but if you want to be in those top spots on the football league table, you can't crumble every time you face real pressure. The mentality gap was clear once City went 3-2 up.

For the neutral, though? Absolute dream. Six goals, top scorers today stepping up, huge calls for VAR, and a striker putting on a golden boot clinic. This is the kind of Premier League live drama that keeps you glued to your screen.

What's next?

City march on with momentum. Haaland boosts his numbers in the top scorers race, the Etihad feels like a fortress again, and suddenly every upcoming fixture looks like a must-watch. Chelsea, meanwhile, have serious questions to answer – especially at the back and in those big-game moments.

If you're planning your next few evenings around Champions League news, domestic pressure like this is exactly what shapes European nights. Confidence, form, rhythm – it all starts with crazy league games like this one.

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@ ad-hoc-news.de