Haaland hat-trick chaos as Man City stun Spurs 4-2 – Premier League live
04.02.2026 - 05:17:07
Man City 4–2 Tottenham – Haaland goes full monster mode
This was supposed to be a tricky night for City, but Erling Haaland basically said: not on my watch. Tottenham actually punched first – and hard.
On 11 minutes, Son Heung-min sliced City open with a trademark run. Dejan Kulusevski slipped him through, Son chopped inside Nathan Aké and drilled a low right-foot finish past Ederson. Clinical. 1–0 Spurs.
City wobbled. Spurs smelt blood. Just eight minutes later, it was 2–0: a quick break, Pedro Porro bombing down the right, cutback to James Maddison at the edge of the box. One touch out of his feet, curled left-foot strike into the far corner. Silence at the Etihad. You could almost feel the title slipping for a second.
Haaland responds: the hat-trick that flipped everything
Then the switch flipped. City started pinning Spurs back with wave after wave of attacks. In the 28th minute, Kevin De Bruyne spotted the run that only he sees. A filthy, curling cross from the right, and Erling Haaland bullied Cristian Romero to power in a header. 2–1. Game on, and you just knew more was coming.
Right before half-time, City got level. Phil Foden danced inside from the left, played a one-two with Bernardo Silva, and his blocked shot fell perfectly to Haaland inside the six-yard box. You don’t give him gifts there. Haaland snapped it in with his left foot. 2–2. The whole momentum flipped in a heartbeat.
After the break, Spurs tried to slow things down, but City smelled blood. In the 63rd minute came the big controversy. Foden burst into the box and went down under a tangle with Romero. The ref initially waved play on, but VAR dragged him to the screen. After a long look – contact clearly on the calf – penalty given. Tottenham players furious, fans on both sides losing it online.
Up stepped Haaland. No nerves, no doubt. He smashed the penalty high to Vicario’s right for his hat-trick. 3–2 City. Haaland the hero, Romero the villain on every timeline.
To cap it off, in the 84th minute, De Bruyne – who had been quietly excellent – curled in another devilish ball that Spurs couldn’t clear. It broke to Bernardo Silva at the edge of the area, and he just passed it into the far corner. 4–2, lights out.
Stars: heroes & flops on a crazy night
- Erling Haaland – Absolute beast. Three goals (header, poacher finish, ice-cold penalty). Movement, aggression, swagger. If you’re checking top scorers today, he just rocketed himself back up the Golden Boot chart.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Two assists, endless dangerous balls. When he’s fit, City look like a different animal.
- Phil Foden – Didn’t score, but his dribbling pinned Spurs deep and he drew the crucial penalty incident. Massive influence.
- Son Heung-min – Started on fire with that opener, always a threat on the counter – but faded as Spurs got pinned back.
- James Maddison – Beautiful goal, some nice pockets of play, but couldn’t drag Spurs back once City went ahead.
From a pure football perspective, City’s front line was ruthless. Spurs’ high line and risk-first style looked great at 2–0, then turned into a horror show once City woke up.
What this does to the football league table
This win is huge for the title race. City turn a potential disaster into a statement. Instead of dropping points at home, they slam four past a top-six rival and keep serious pressure on the teams around them. Spurs, meanwhile, slide further away from the top four conversation and will be nervously checking the football league table tonight.
City’s goal difference gets another boost, Haaland climbs the scoring charts, and that matters when fine margins decide trophies. Tottenham’s defensive issues, especially against direct runs and crosses, are now a full-on talking point.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Other key soccer games today
Across Europe, the soccer news doesn’t stop.
- Arsenal 2–0 Brighton – Goals from Bukayo Saka (penalty) and Gabriel Jesus keep Arsenal right in the chase. Saka was sharp all game, constantly cutting inside and testing the keeper.
- Liverpool 1–1 Newcastle – Mohamed Salah scored from the spot after a handball, but Alexander Isak hit back with a clever near-post finish. Salah had chances to win it late but couldn’t find the killer touch this time.
In the Champions League news cycle, everyone’s already talking about how tonight’s form might carry into Europe: Haaland in this mood is a nightmare for any defence, and City’s attacking rhythm is peaking at just the right moment.
Social Media Spotlight
Of course, the internet absolutely exploded the second that VAR penalty was given for City. Spurs fans screaming robbery, City fans posting freeze-frames of the contact, neutrals just loving the drama. The official hashtag doing the rounds is #MCITOT, and it’s chaos in the best way.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans furious and divided over the VAR penalty for Haaland's hat-trick
My take: City are built for this chaos
In my opinion, this felt like one of those nights that separate real title contenders from the rest. At 2–0 down, a lot of teams crumble. City just got angry – in a controlled, terrifying way. Haaland’s mentality is honestly ridiculous: barely a touch early on, suddenly he walks off with the match ball.
I’m also going to say it straight – Tottenham's bravery is fun, but the naivety is killing them. You can't hold that high a line, that open, against De Bruyne and Haaland away from home and expect not to get cooked. It's thrilling for neutrals, a nightmare for Spurs fans.
As for the VAR call, for me there's enough contact to give it. Romero clips Foden’s leg, Foden’s in the box, it’s a penalty in the modern game. Does it sting? Absolutely. Is it a scandal? Not really. But you know how it goes online – everything is a conspiracy for at least 24 hours.
What's next?
The next matchday is going to be insane, because this result piles the pressure on everyone else. Arsenal and Liverpool both know that every dropped point now is a gift to City. The football league table is tight, the margins are tiny, and performances like Haaland's tonight could be what we remember in May.
Want to see exactly how this 4–2 thriller reshapes the race at the top and the scramble for Europe? Don't just guess – check the live data.
Check full stats & standings now
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