Haaland hat-trick, City crush Chelsea 5-0 as title race goes wild – live drama

Manchester City smash Chelsea 5-0 with a ruthless Erling Haaland hat-trick as Liverpool and Arsenal chase hard – who really owns the title race tonight?

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-26, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games with chaos, goals and pure drama, tonight in the Premier League was absolutely unmissable. Manchester City destroyed Chelsea 5-0 at the Etihad, Erling Haaland went full cheat code again, and the title race just swung hard in sky blue.

Manchester City 5-0 Chelsea – Haaland turns beast mode back on

Manchester City came out like a team that had read every tweet questioning them this season. From the first whistle they pressed, pinned Chelsea back, and basically turned the Etihad into a shooting gallery.

The opener came early. Kevin De Bruyne, floating between the lines like he owns that patch of grass, slipped a ridiculous reverse pass into Erling Haaland. One touch to set, second touch to bury – Haaland 1-0, smashed low past the keeper. Classic City, classic robot finish.

The second goal? Pure wing wizardry. Phil Foden skinned his man down the right, cut the ball back and Bernardo Silva arrived late, stroking it into the far corner – Bernardo Silva 2-0. Chelsea’s back line just froze, caught watching instead of marking.

Then came the big man again. Corner from the left, De Bruyne whips it in with venom, Haaland bullies two defenders, powers above everyone and thunders a header home – Haaland 3-0. At that point, Chelsea looked like they wanted full-time, not half-time.

After the break, City didn’t even bother easing off. Foden, who was unreal all night, dropped into the half-space, played a one-two with Rodri and curled a beauty into the top corner from the edge of the box – Foden 4-0. That finish gets replayed on highlight reels for weeks.

The hat-trick moment was pure Haaland theatre. Quick transition, De Bruyne carries, waits, times it to perfection, slides Haaland through again. One-on-one, you already knew the ending – little feint, keeper sits, ball rolled into the corner – Haaland 5-0. Match ball in the bag, game dead, statement made.

Stars: Heroes & flops

• Erling Haaland – Ruthless. A cold-blooded hat-trick, constant movement, bullying centre-backs. This was prime Golden Boot mode.
• Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists and probably could’ve had more. He dictated tempo like he had the controller in his hands.
• Phil Foden – One goal, one assist, non-stop pressing. Every touch oozed confidence – you can tell he feels like the main man now.
• Chelsea’s back line – Total collapse. No control, no communication, and Haaland basically turned them into training cones.

There was even a slice of VAR drama midway through the second half. Haaland thought he had a fourth after tapping in a low cross from João Cancelo. The stadium erupted, but VAR took its time and finally chalked it off for a razor-thin offside in the build-up. City fans furious, Chelsea fans relieved – but honestly, it only delayed the inevitable.

Title race twist – where does this leave the league?

This massive win doesn’t just look good on a highlight reel, it hits the football league table hard. Goal difference swings, pressure on Liverpool and Arsenal cranks up, and suddenly every slip in the next few weeks feels fatal.

City’s five-goal demolition boosts their goal difference and tightens things at the top. Liverpool, chasing and grinding, now know that any draw feels like a defeat. Arsenal, still swinging, see that City aren’t going anywhere. The whole top three picture just got nastier, sharper and way more dramatic.

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

Elsewhere in Europe – Champions League contenders flex

Across the continent, the Champions League news vibes are all about momentum building. Real Madrid leaned on Jude Bellingham again, while Kylian Mbappé kept his scoring streak rumbling for PSG.

In La Liga, Madrid’s key man stepped up when it mattered. With the game level late on, Bellingham ghosted into the box and headed in the winner – Bellingham 2-1 after a tight match where he’d already been pulling strings all night. Not his flashiest game, but pure clutch. That’s what separates top scorers today from just good players.

Over in Ligue 1, Mbappé did exactly what you expect him to do: outrun everyone. His first came from a blistering counter – sprinting onto a through ball and smashing it near post – Mbappé 1-0. His second was a cool penalty, rolled into the corner for Mbappé 2-0. Defenders know what’s coming and still can’t stop it.

These performances matter because the Champions League is right around the corner. Haaland, Bellingham, Mbappé – they’re all warming up like it’s knockout season already.

Social Media Spotlight – the game is trending harder than ever

Reporter's take – this was a statement beating

From a pure football eye-test, this felt like one of those nights where a champion team reminds everyone who runs the league. City’s structure was clean, their pressing was coordinated, and every famous name on the pitch actually delivered.

Haaland looked sharper than he has in weeks – his movement across the line was brutal, dragging defenders all over the place. De Bruyne looked fully locked in, hitting those early balls and half-spaces like the injury concerns never existed. Foden? He played with proper swagger, the kind that says he’s not just a prospect anymore – he’s the guy.

On the flip side, Chelsea felt miles off. It wasn’t just a talent gap; it was belief, organisation, identity. You can’t walk into the Etihad with that level of focus and expect anything but pain. In my opinion, if this kind of performance keeps repeating, the manager’s seat gets very, very hot.

This result also sends a message across Europe. If you’re a Champions League rival watching these soccer games tonight, you’re circling City as the team you absolutely do not want in your half of the draw. When Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden sync like this, it looks unfair.

Full-time whistle – the title race is officially chaos

So where are we as the dust settles? City are flying after a 5-0 demolition, Liverpool and Arsenal are under massive pressure to respond, and the top scorers chart is getting a familiar name etched at the top again in Haaland.

The next matchday is going to be savage. Every point, every late winner, every mistake – it all hits different now. If you’re tracking Premier League live action, don’t even think about switching off early. This run-in is going right to the wire.

Check full stats & standings now

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