Haaland, City

Haaland hat-trick chaos! Man City vs Spurs thriller shakes title race live

11.02.2026 - 12:36:37

Man City and Spurs trade blows in a wild 3-3 as Erling Haaland explodes, but late drama leaves the title race wide open. Did the champions just blink?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-11, the pitch is on fire... You wanted crazy soccer games? You got pure chaos at the Etihad. Manchester City and Tottenham just ripped up the script in a 3-3 Premier League classic that felt like a Champions League knockout tie dropped into a league weekend. Six goals, missed chances, a late twist, and Erling Haaland putting on a one-man demolition job.

Did you see that second goal? It was vintage Haaland: one touch to kill the ball, one step, one rocket. But the story tonight isn’t just that he scored – it’s that City somehow let Tottenham off the hook and left the title race wide open again.

Man City 3–3 Tottenham: Haaland catches fire, Spurs refuse to die

This one started like so many Premier League live blockbusters: City dominating the ball, Spurs sitting deep and daring them to break through. It didn’t take long.

In the 14th minute, Kevin De Bruyne slid the perfect through ball into space and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. One burst between the center-backs, low finish across the keeper, 1–0. Simple, ruthless, inevitable.

But Spurs hit back with pure chaos. In the 27th minute, a loose City pass in midfield was snapped up by James Maddison. He drove forward, slipped in Son Heung-min on the left, and Son smashed a right-footed shot inside the far post. 1–1, out of nowhere, and the away end went absolutely wild.

City responded like champions. In the 39th minute, De Bruyne again found space on the edge of the box. He clipped a ball into Haaland, who pinned his marker, rolled him, and lashed the shot into the top corner. Haaland 2, Spurs 1. At that point it looked like this could turn into a hat-trick training session.

Right after half-time, the hosts cranked it up again. In the 52nd minute, Phil Foden danced in from the right, played a quick one-two with Bernardo Silva, and fired at goal. The shot was parried straight into danger and who else but Erling Haaland was first to react, bundling in from close range for his hat-trick. 3–1 City, and the stadium thought it was game over.

Then the game flipped – and the hot topic everywhere is the officiating. In the 63rd minute, Spurs were given a lifeline when a long ball into the area saw Richarlison go down under a tangle with Rúben Dias. The referee initially waved it away, but VAR sent him to the screen. After a long check, the penalty was given. Son Heung-min stepped up and drilled it hard and low. 3–2, nerves jangling.

City still had chances to kill it. Haaland burst through again on 70 minutes but dragged his shot wide hunting a fourth. Then in the 81st minute, another huge flashpoint: De Bruyne appeared to be clipped on the edge of the Spurs box as he burst through, the referee waved play on, and within seconds Tottenham had launched a counter-attack. The ball eventually broke to Dejan Kulusevski on the right, who cut inside and unleashed a curling left-footer into the far corner. 3–3, complete scenes in the away end, and the Etihad stunned.

VAR checked the challenge on De Bruyne, but the goal stood. That decision is exactly what everyone is arguing about online right now – was it a foul, should City have had a free-kick, did the ref completely lose control of the game?

Heroes and flops: big names under the spotlight

Erling Haaland was outrageous. A hat-trick in a game this intense, with defenders hanging off him all night, is absolutely world class. His movement for the first and second goals was just unfair – timing, power, and ice-cold finishing. If City had won, we’d be talking about a statement performance in the Golden Boot race and the story of the day in every soccer news feed.

Kevin De Bruyne looked like he had the game on a string for 60 minutes, picking passes between the lines, constantly finding Haaland and Foden. But as City lost control late on, even he got dragged into the chaos, misplacing passes and getting visibly frustrated with the referee and his own teammates.

For Spurs, Son Heung-min was pure elite mentality. Two massive contributions – a clinical first-half equaliser and a pressure penalty for 3–2 – kept his team alive. James Maddison grew into it too, constantly receiving under pressure, wriggling away from City’s press, and driving those late counters that made City’s backline panic.

At the other end, City’s usually rock-solid defending had a real off-night. Rúben Dias and Manuel Akanji struggled with the pace of the counter, especially once Spurs brought on fresh legs. The penalty concession and the space they gave Kulusevski for the late equaliser will be replayed again and again in every match report tonight.

Title race twist: how the draw hits the football league table

This 3–3 chaos feels like a defeat for City. Two goals up at home, Haaland on a hat-trick, and still they drop points. It opens the door for their title rivals to take control of the Premier League live standings. Spurs, meanwhile, grab a huge point in their push for Champions League football and remind everyone that they’re absolutely not going away.

City stay in the hunt, but this result tightens everything. The leaders can stretch the gap if they win their next game, and the Champions League spots are turning into a full-on traffic jam with Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and others all packed together in the table.

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


Social Media Spotlight: VAR meltdown and Haaland hysteria

The internet is absolutely losing it over that late refereeing call and Kulusevski’s equaliser. From City fans raging about the non-foul on De Bruyne to neutrals just spamming clips of Haaland’s goals, this game has taken over timelines everywhere.

Scroll that #MCITOT tag and it’s wall-to-wall screenshots of the tackle on De Bruyne, clips of Son celebrating in front of the away fans, and fans arguing over expected goals like it’s a legal case. Over on Instagram, City are already posting Haaland’s hat-trick photos from the dressing room, while Spurs players are dropping those “never give up” captions after that late comeback.

My take: City can’t keep wasting Haaland masterclasses

Let’s be real: if you score three with Erling Haaland and don’t win at home, that’s on you. The attack did its job – Haaland was unstoppable, De Bruyne was creative, Foden was lively – but the game management from City in the final 25 minutes was nowhere near title-winning level.

In my opinion, this is exactly the kind of chaotic, loose ending that gives rival managers hope. City looked rattled once Spurs started running at them in transition. The midfield stopped controlling tempo, the press got half-hearted, and suddenly every long ball felt like a threat. If they keep doing this, the door is staying wide open at the top of the table.

For Spurs, though? Massive respect. Son was clutch, Maddison brave on the ball, Kulusevski deadly when it mattered most. They survived Haaland at his most ruthless and still walked out with a point. That’s the mentality of a team that believes it belongs in the Champions League conversation every single season.

Closing whistle: title race on a knife-edge

So yeah, the pitch really is on fire right now. A Haaland hat-trick, a Spurs comeback, VAR arguments, and the Premier League title race suddenly feeling way less predictable. This draw doesn’t kill City, but it absolutely drags them into a dogfight where every single point is gold. If you’re following soccer games across Europe tonight, keep one eye on this result – it’s the one everyone will be talking about when we look back at how the season turned.

Want to see exactly how much damage this 3–3 thriller did to City’s grip on the top and how big that point is for Spurs in the Champions League chase?

Check full stats & standings now


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@ ad-hoc-news.de

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