Haaland hat-trick madness & late drama – Premier League live shockwaves

Haaland explodes with a ruthless hat-trick, Arsenal hit back late, and the title race twists again – but one superstar totally goes missing. You won’t believe who.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-19, the pitch is on fire... Did you see that?? If you love soccer games with pure chaos, late drama and superstar storylines, today’s Premier League slate just delivered a full blockbuster.

Manchester City ripped into the evening like a storm, Arsenal clung on with a huge response of their own, and the title race just got a whole lot spicier.

Haaland goes full machine mode for Man City

Over at the Etihad, Manchester City absolutely suffocated Aston Villa in a 4-1 win that felt like a statement straight at everyone above them. And the headline is simple: Erling Haaland. Hat-trick. Cold-blooded. Game over.

City opened the scoring when Kevin De Bruyne slipped a filthy through ball between the lines, and Haaland bullied his way past his marker before smashing it low into the bottom corner for 1-0. That was his first. The second? Classic penalty-box predator. A fizzed cross from Phil Foden was only half-cleared, and Haaland reacted first, sweeping it home from eight yards.

Aston Villa tried to punch back, and they actually made it 2-1 thanks to a sharp finish from Ollie Watkins, who spun off his marker and drilled past Ederson after a clever cut-back from Leon Bailey. For a few minutes, we had a proper game on our hands.

But then Haaland said: nope.

On the break, City ripped Villa open again. De Bruyne carried, fed Bernardo Silva wide, and the clipped cross found Haaland darting between centre-backs. One brutal header later, it was 3-1 and the Norwegian had his hat-trick. The Etihad just exploded.

The fourth came from Foden, who got the goal his performance deserved. Sliding into the half-space, he unleashed a curling left-foot strike from the edge of the box after a short pass from Rodri. 4-1, game done, message sent.

And yes, we have to talk about the big names: De Bruyne looked like a puppeteer out there, pulling strings everywhere. Haaland? Absolute hero. Three goals, constant menace, and he probably still went home annoyed he didn’t score four. For Villa, Watkins worked hard, but he was feeding off scraps by the end.

Arsenal rescue the night with late drama

While City were smashing Villa, Arsenal had to suffer for every second of their 2-1 win against Newcastle at the Emirates. It felt like one of those soccer games that slip away – until the Gunners finally flipped the script late on.

Newcastle actually struck first. Against the run of play, a long diagonal from Kieran Trippier caused chaos, and when Arsenal failed to clear, Alexander Isak pounced, drilling a low shot past David Raya for 0-1. The away end went wild, Arteta looked furious on the touchline, and suddenly Arsenal’s title push was wobbling again.

Step up Bukayo Saka. Just before half-time, he decided he’d had enough. Cutting in from the right, he glided past Dan Burn, shifted onto his left and whipped a gorgeous shot into the far corner. 1-1, pure Saka, pure Emirates roar.

The second half was a siege. Arsenal pinned Newcastle deep, but the final pass kept missing – and this is where one big name really flopped: Gabriel Jesus. His touch was heavy, his finishing off, and more than once he slowed down promising moves. You could feel the frustration nervously sliding around the stadium.

Then came the late twist. In the 86th minute, a corner from Martin Ødegaard caused chaos in the box. The ball broke loose, and centre-back William Saliba reacted faster than anyone, smashing home from close range. 2-1, carnage in North London, and maybe the moment that keeps Arsenal’s title dreams alive.

Ødegaard was everywhere – pressing, dictating, creating – while Saka looked like a genuine world-class winger again. On the other side, Isak was dangerous, but Bruno Guimarães struggled to really pull Newcastle forward, and they faded badly late on.

Champions League race: Liverpool stumble, United punished

In the battle for those precious Champions League spots, Liverpool and Manchester United both dropped points in games they’ll absolutely hate rewatching.

At Anfield, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton. Mohamed Salah did get his goal – naturally – finishing calmly after a smart one-two with Darwin Núñez. But Liverpool’s defending let them down again when João Pedro levelled for Brighton, sweeping home after a slick move down the left.

Salah was dangerous, sure, but he also missed a huge chance late on, dragging a shot wide after being put clear by Alexis Mac Allister. Hero and almost-villain in the same 90 minutes. Brighton’s key man? Pedro, no doubt, with constant movement that kept Liverpool’s back line guessing.

Over at Old Trafford, Manchester United suffered a brutal 2-2 draw with West Ham after leading twice. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with a curling effort from the edge of the area, only for Jarrod Bowen to hit back quickly with a clever near-post finish. In the second half, United’s new starlet Rasmus Højlund restored the lead with a poacher’s goal, tapping in after chaos from a corner.

But then came the meltdown and the social-media wildfire: a late VAR drama. In stoppage time, West Ham thought they’d equalised through Mohammed Kudus, only for the goal to be initially ruled out for offside. After a long VAR check – the kind that makes everyone in the stadium go insane – the goal was finally given. 2-2, Old Trafford stunned, Ten Hag fuming, and X/Twitter instantly on fire about the call.

Rashford had his moment, Højlund kept scoring, but defensively United were a mess again. That late VAR reversal is going to be replayed and argued over for days.

What it means for the football league table

So where does all this chaos leave us? City’s big win over Villa drags them right back into the title conversation, especially with Liverpool slipping and Arsenal just about surviving. Arsenal’s late winner keeps them ahead in the race, but City’s goal difference is starting to look seriously scary again.

Liverpool’s draw tightens the top scorers today and the standings picture, while United’s dropped points hit their hopes of staying in the Champions League chase. Every single point now feels like gold dust.

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

Social Media Spotlight – the web goes wild

Fans are absolutely losing it online – especially about that late VAR decision at Old Trafford. From tactical threads breaking down United’s shape, to slow-mo clips of Kudus staying just onside, social media is in full meltdown mode.

My take: Haaland scary, Arsenal alive, United drifting

From a reporter’s eye, today felt like a power shift kind of day. In my opinion, Haaland just sent a warning shot to the entire league. When he’s moving like this, you can throw xG, tactics and defensive plans in the bin – he just tears through everything.

Arsenal showed something massive too: resilience. They weren’t at their slick best, Jesus struggled badly, but Saka and Saliba dragged them over the line. That’s the kind of win title teams remember in May.

United, though? Different story. Yes, Rashford scored, Højlund scored, but that constant defensive chaos is unsustainable. The VAR call will steal the headlines, but honestly, if you keep inviting pressure like that, you’re begging for heartbreak. For me, this wasn’t about technology – it was about a team that still doesn’t know how to close out a big game.

Closing whistle: chaos, goals and a title race on edge

So, put it all together and you get one of those wild Premier League nights that remind you why soccer games at this level are pure drama. Hat-tricks, late winners, VAR controversy, and big names either stepping up or disappearing.

City look terrifying again, Arsenal stay alive, Liverpool wobble, and United spin in circles. The only way to really feel the weight of it all is to see how the table shifted.

Check full stats & standings now

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