Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City edge Chelsea in seven-goal live thriller
03.02.2026 - 15:00:47Man City 4–3 Chelsea – Haaland drags City through a rollercoaster
This was pure chaos at the Etihad. Man City beat Chelsea 4–3 in a game that felt like a Champions League knockout tie dropped into a February league night.
Erling Haaland was the monster in the box again – he smashed a hat-trick with goals on 18', 52' and a nervy penalty on 88'. Phil Foden bagged the other City goal with a slick finish on 61', curling it past the keeper after dancing in from the right.
Chelsea refused to die though. Cole Palmer came back to haunt his former club, scoring twice – first with a cool low finish on 27', then burying a penalty on 75'. Nicolas Jackson added another for Chelsea on 69' after a quick counter where he slid the ball under the keeper.
Star Power Check: Heroes & flops
- Erling Haaland – Hero, no question. Three goals, bullying the centre-backs all game, winning the late penalty himself. Clinical, relentless, and honestly terrifying.
- Phil Foden – Electric between the lines, one goal, one assist. Every time he got the ball you could feel the Etihad raise the volume.
- Cole Palmer – Ice-cold. Two goals against his old club, barely celebrated the first, but you could see the fire in his eyes.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Not on the scoresheet but dropped two perfect assists, including the cross Haaland buried for his second.
- Raheem Sterling – Frustrating night. Missed a huge chance at 3–3 that could’ve flipped the entire narrative.
VAR drama and the goal that broke the internet
The hottest flashpoint? A disallowed screamer from Palmer on 83'. He bent one into the top corner from outside the box – absolute postage stamp – but VAR stepped in, ruling Jackson offside in the build-up for a tiny interference on the centre-back. Chelsea fans went ballistic. You could see the Chelsea bench lose it, and the away end was chanting about VAR for minutes.
To make it worse for Chelsea, just five minutes later Haaland got his penalty after a tangle with Thiago Silva in the area. Contact was there, but soft? Probably. The ref pointed to the spot, VAR checked it, decision stood, and Haaland smashed it low to the keeper’s right for 4–3 on 88'. That sequence – disallowed worldie on one end, penalty at the other – is exactly what everyone is screaming about online right now.
How this shakes up the Premier League table
This result is huge for the title race. City stay at the top but only just, edging clear of the chasing pack for another week. Chelsea, meanwhile, are stuck in the battle for European spots, dropping points in a game where they scored three away from home. Defensive issues again, and that’s going to haunt them when you look at the table.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Across Europe: Big names, big moments
La Liga: Real Madrid grind out a win
Over in Spain, Real Madrid did just enough in a tight 2–1 home win. Jude Bellingham was right in the thick of it again – he opened the scoring on 24' with a late run into the box and a calm side-foot finish. VinĂcius JĂşnior added the second on 57' after cutting in from the left and smashing it near post. The visitors pulled one back late with a scrappy tap-in, but Madrid held on.
Bellingham wasn’t flawless – he missed a huge chance for his second – but when the game needed control, he dropped deeper, dictated the tempo and Madrid saw it out. This is exactly why he’s becoming the heartbeat of that team.
Ligue 1: Mbappé with the killer touch
In France, Paris Saint-Germain kept their push going with a 3–1 win. Kylian Mbappé scored twice – first from the penalty spot on 16', then with a ridiculous solo run on 70' where he burned two defenders and slipped it past the keeper. Ousmane Dembélé added the other goal with a volley at the back post on 49'.
Mbappé’s form right now is outrageous – defenders are backing off him, and every time he picks up the ball on the left channel you can almost expect the net to bulge.
Social Media Spotlight – the Etihad meltdown
The Premier League live conversation is absolutely raging around that City vs Chelsea finish. Everyone is split between calling it a robbery and saying 22that 27s just modern VAR. 22 The main hot topic right now: that VAR decision chalking off Palmer’s screamer before Haaland’s late penalty winner.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious over VAR wiping out Palmer 27s rocket before Haaland 27s winner
Reporter 27s Take: This felt like a Champions League night
I 27m just going to say it: if you 27re chasing titles, you absolutely have to win crazy games like this, and City did exactly that. Haaland looked unstoppable again – this is the version of him that scares every defender in Europe. Defensively, though, City were a mess at times, and if they defend like that in Champions League knockout games, they 27re going to be in trouble.
For Chelsea, the attack finally clicked – Palmer and Jackson both showed why they can hurt anyone – but you can 27t concede four and expect sympathy. The VAR call will dominate the headlines, but the deeper story is that Chelsea still can’t close out big away games. In my opinion, if this continues, the pressure on the manager and that back line is going to explode.
Across Europe, Bellingham and Mbappé once again played like they own the stage. When you talk about the biggest names in world soccer news right now – Haaland, Bellingham, Mbappé – all three showed up, all three delivered, and that’s exactly why the football world can’t take its eyes off them.
Final whistle – don 27t blink now
So, to wrap it: City edge a 4–3 classic, Chelsea leave furious and empty-handed, Madrid and PSG keep their machines rolling, and the title races across Europe stay absolutely wild. If you care about football league table swings, tonight changed a lot of narratives – and maybe the momentum heading into the next run of fixtures.
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