Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City smash Chelsea – Premier League live
07.02.2026 - 18:07:35
Man City 4–1 Chelsea – Haaland goes nuclear again
Manchester City sent a brutal reminder to everyone chasing them. A 4–1 win over Chelsea, powered by an Erling Haaland hat-trick, felt like City flicked the switch from cruise control to destroy mode.
The opener came early. In the 12th minute, Kevin De Bruyne threaded one of those trademark slide-rule passes through the Chelsea back line. Haaland bullied his way between the centre-backs, took one touch and lashed a left-foot rocket past the helpless keeper. 1–0, and you just knew he wasn’t done.
Chelsea actually hit back. On 27 minutes, a rare bit of composure in sky-blue territory: Cole Palmer tucked in a low finish from the edge of the box after a neat lay-off from Raheem Sterling. Palmer refused to celebrate against his old club, but the Etihad definitely felt that sting. 1–1, game on… briefly.
City’s response was savage. Before half-time, Phil Foden danced inside from the right, slipped a quick ball into Haaland, and the Norwegian shrugged off his marker and drilled in his second. Two shots, two goals, pure No.9 devastation. Chelsea’s back line looked like it was ageing in dog years every time he ran at them.
The second half became a one-man destruction show. On 63 minutes, City won a penalty after Foden was clipped by a desperate sliding tackle. No drama about who was taking it – Haaland picked up the ball, stared down the keeper, and hammered the spot-kick into the top corner to complete his hat-trick. The stadium exploded; you could almost feel the title race wobble in real time.
To cap it off, De Bruyne – who had been purring all night – got his deserved goal on 78 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne arrived on the edge of the box, smashed a bouncing ball low into the corner after a cut-back from Bernardo Silva. 4–1, game dead, statement made.
As for the stars: Haaland was unstoppable – hat-trick hero, constant menace, pure chaos. De Bruyne looked fully fit and fully terrifying again, dictating tempo and slicing Chelsea apart. On the other side, Enzo Fernández and the Chelsea midfield never really coped, while Sterling faded badly after a bright opening. Palmer at least looked sharp and brave on the ball, but Chelsea’s big names shrank under the Etihad lights.
Arsenal stumble, Liverpool frustrated – title race flips again
Elsewhere in the Premier League live action, Arsenal slipped badly while Liverpool failed to punish them.
Arsenal 1–1 Newcastle: At the Emirates, Arsenal dropped two points they’ll absolutely hate. Bukayo Saka fired Arsenal ahead with a clever right-foot finish in the 19th minute after cutting in from the right – classic Saka trademark move. But defensive lapses cost them late once again. On 82 minutes, a deep cross wasn’t dealt with, and Alexander Isak peeled away to nod past the keeper from close range. Saka was electric for most of the game, constantly 1v1 and dragging defenders around, but the rest of Arsenal’s big guns – especially Gabriel Jesus – were too wasteful in front of goal.
Brentford 0–0 Liverpool: At the Gtech Community Stadium, Liverpool hit a frustrating brick wall. Mohamed Salah had the game’s best chance, cutting inside and curling a left-foot effort just wide of the far post. He was lively but not lethal, while Darwin Núñez ran and ran but never really threatened. Brentford were rugged, disciplined, and survived a nervy VAR check for handball in the box – the referee stuck with his on-field call of no penalty after a long sideline monitor look, leaving Liverpool fans raging online.
So in the race for the crown, City’s big win plus Arsenal and Liverpool dropping points suddenly tilts the momentum sky blue again. The football league table just got a serious shake.
What this means for the standings
With City grabbing all three points and a tasty goal difference boost, while both Arsenal and Liverpool only managed draws, the gap in the football league table tightens at the top. City climb, pressure piles on, and one bad weekend for their rivals turns into a full-on narrative swing. Every goal from Haaland’s treble doesn’t just live on the highlight reel – it lives in the points column and the title calculators too.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Social Media Spotlight – Etihad meltdown in real time
Online, it’s absolute chaos. City fans are spamming GOAT memes, Chelsea fans are questioning everything from the back four to the recruitment strategy, and the neutral crowd is busy clipping every Haaland touch.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans losing it over Haaland's hat-trick and the VAR penalty call
My take: This felt like a title race power move
From a young reporter’s seat, this didn’t feel like just another big win – it felt like a full-on psychological punch to the rest of the league. In my opinion, no one in Europe flips a switch like City. One week they look human, the next week Haaland is bullying defenders for fun and De Bruyne is dropping passes from another dimension.
Chelsea, on the other hand, looked miles off it once City hit top gear. The project talk, the long-term rebuild, the young core – all of that sounds great until you watch them get ripped open by a side that already knows exactly who they are. The manager will now be under huge pressure to show this is a learning moment, not a warning sign.
As for Arsenal and Liverpool, these are the sort of weekends you look back on in May and wince. Dropping points while your main rival is hitting four past a top opponent? That’s how title bids slowly crumble. Saka did his bit, Salah tried to drag Liverpool over the line, but the truly elite sides bury these kinds of games. Right now, only City are playing like that.
Closing whistle – it’s getting wild at the top
If you came in just hunting for football results today, you’ve walked into a full-on title narrative plot twist. Haaland’s hat-trick, De Bruyne’s masterclass, Arsenal and Liverpool stumbling – the whole top of the table just got shaken like a snow globe.
Don’t just guess where everyone stands – check it in black and white, point by point, goal by goal, as the season tightens up.
Check full stats & standings now
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